The Psychology of Bodily Feelings in Schizophrenia (Special Article)

most important symptoms of schizophrenia are those involving bodily feelings (e.g., hypochondriasis, "somatic delusions").1 The purpose of this essay is to contribute to the understanding of the psychology of these phe-nomena. Since this issue touches on the larger problem of the nature of so-called "body lan-guage, " this essay may be considered also as an attempt to elucidate the mechanism, func-tion and. meaning of body language. This will be of relevance not only to schizophrenia but also to "hysteria " and to psychosomatic re-search in general. The phenomenology of bodily feelings in schizophrenia, which is amply covered in the psychiatric literature, will not be considered in this essay. According to psychoanalytic theory,2 these symptoms are viewed, first, as expressions of an introversion on the part of the ego so that its interest is turned from the outside world (other people) to the body (of the self). The various bodily feelings are thus regarded as essentially "correct " percep-tions of somatic processes which usually (or normally) do not reach conscious awareness. Secondly, the symptom is regarded as a sym-bolic expression, utilizing body language, of an unconscious—usually sexual (procreative) —fantasy. Bleuler stated that: We are unable to say pre