The Symbolism in a Case of Hysterical Psychosis

Abstract

The authors take inspiration from a case of hysterical psychosis to illustrate a typical condition of this evocative disease: the symbolic language of hysteria, conjurer of archetypical images. The authors encourage the clinician not to decode such aspects in rational analytical terms, rather to have a more wide-open approach that promotes the emergence of the individual unconscious, reconnecting with the collective imagination. This approach could help psychiatrists better understand a subject's inner experiences and interpersonal behavior.