Parnas/ Sass Ipseity model of schizophrenia spectrum disorders

 

In the Parnas/ Sass model the ‘self’ is a concept that is divided into the minimal/ core/ ipseity self and more complex notions of selfhood such as the narrative/ social self (Nelson, Parnas & Sass, 2014, 2014: 479). The minimal/core/ ipseity self is

“prereflective, tacit level of selfhood. It refers to the implicit first-person quality of consciousness” (Nelson, Parnas & Sass, 2014, 2014: 479).

It is in the background of all conscious experience which is infused with ‘mine-ness’  and is the “first person perspective on the world” (Sass & Parnas, 2003: 429). It is the foundation of all more complex levels of selfhood such as the narrative/ social self . The narrative/ social self is

“characteristics such as social identity, personality, habits, style, personal history, etc” (Nelson, Parnas & Sass, 2014: 2014, 479).

The core disturbance of schizophrenia in the Parnas/ Sass model is of ipseity (Sass & Parnas, 2003). We do not have to accept this argument just the observation that disturbances of ipseity are more commonly found in the schizophrenia spectrum compared to other psychosis cases . This disturbance of ipseity has three complementary aspects – hyperreflexivity, diminished self-affection and disturbed ‘hold’ or ‘grip’ – which are associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (Sass & Parnas, 2003; Nelson, Parnas & Sass, 2014 and Sass & Parnas, 2017).

“The first is hyperreflexivity, which refers to forms of exaggerated self-consciousness in which a subject or agent experiences itself, or what would normally be inhabited as an aspect or feature of itself, as a kind of external object. The second is a diminishment of self-affection or auto-affection—that is, of the sense of basic self-presence, the implicit sense of existing as a vital and self-possessed subject of awareness…These complementary distortions are necessarily accompanied by certain kinds of alterations or disturbances of the subject's "grip" or "hold" on the conceptual or perceptual field…that is, of the sharpness or stability with which figures or meanings emerge from and against some kind of background context” (Sass & Parnas, 2003: 428).

These ipseity changes are

“pervasive, enduring trait-phenomena, typically dating back to childhood or early adolescence…”(Henriksen & Parnas, 2012: 659).

If you go to www.easenet.dk there’s a lot more information on this topic including papers 

 

REFERENCES

Henriksen, M.G. and Parnas, J., 2012. Clinical manifestations of self-disorders and the Gestalt of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 38(4), pp.657-660

Nelson, B., Parnas, J. and Sass, L.A., 2014. Disturbance of minimal self (ipseity) in schizophrenia: clarification and current status. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 40(3), pp.479-482.

Sass, L.A. and Parnas, J., 2003. Schizophrenia, consciousness, and the self. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 29(3), pp.427-444.

Sass, L. and Parnas, J., 2017. Thought disorder, subjectivity, and the self. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 43(3), pp.497-502.