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. (AU)