The Phantom Theater of the Mind: A Neuroscientific and Psychoanalytic Exploration of Charles Bonnet Syndrome
Michele di Salvo
CRC Press eBooks October 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1201/9781042001231-12 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Charles Bonnet syndrome is best understood through a multidisciplinary framework combining predictive processing and brain connectivity with psychoanalytic perspectives (Freudian, Lacanian, and Lowen's bioenergetic analysis), and proposes that CBS should be viewed not merely as a pathological curiosity but as an existential drama staging conflict between perception, reality, and desire. |
Abstract
Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) constitutes a neuropsychic phenomenon of extraordinary complexity, situated at the crossroads of sensory deprivation, cortical hyperactivity, and the dynamism of the unconscious. This chapter aims to explore CBS through a multidisciplinary and narrative lens, moving beyond mere symptomatological description to delve into its profound implications for understanding human consciousness. Starting from an updated, solid neuroscientific foundation, with a particular focus on predictive processing models and brain connectivity, the chapter exhaustively reviews all intervention strategies, from pharmacology to neuromodulation. Peculiar and in-depth attention is dedicated to the interpretative contribution of classical Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis and to the somatic contribution of Lowen’s bioenergetic psychoanalysis, frameworks often neglected in standard medical literature. Through a narrative analysis of detailed clinical cases and the integration of explanatory graphical models, a holistic vision of CBS is outlined, not only as a pathological curiosity but also as an existential drama that stages the perpetual conflict between perception, reality, and desire.