On Digital Consciousness and Psychic Death
Psychoanalytic Dialogues December 2, 2008 DOI: 10.1080/10481880802473290 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 10 |
| Key points | Argues that some disturbed or traumatized patients experience time as discontinuous, a "digital" mode in which moments are separated by blanks or "psychic deaths," undermining a continuous sense of "aliveness" and the linking of analytic sessions. Explores the experiential, developmental, and neurobiological dimensions of these states and their implications for psychoanalytic treatment. |
Abstract
This paper describes states of consciousness in some disturbed or traumatized patients in which time is not experienced as being linked to future or past. The patient's experience in this state is “digital” rather than continuous, making it difficult for him to have an inner sense of continual “aliveness” and to link analytic sessions together. In extreme cases, his world may be experienced as a succession of moments interrupted by little blanks or psychic deaths. The experiential, developmental, and neurobiological aspects of these states are explored with an emphasis on implications for psychoanalytic treatment.