Fantasy (Psychosis) - It accompanies us always
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Fantasy is not an accessory of the psyche but the working mode of the Ego that arranges raw experience so it becomes bearable, meaningful, and action-guiding for the Self. Within Logan’s Three-Forces Model (Drive – Ego – Self), fantasy mediates: the Drive supplies energy and affective images; the Ego shapes them into narratives (scenes, figures, inner dialogues); the Self tests them against values, bonds, and reality. When this coordination succeeds, creativity, learning, and inner calm arise. When it fails, the Ego produces stories against the value and reality core of the Self—fantasy then tips into substitute worlds. The paper differentiates processing, simulation, and protection functions; describes tipping mechanisms (self-lie, narrative fixation, cognitive isolation); and illustrates them across development (childhood, psychosis, dementia, panic, love). Conclusion: emotional integration and maturation determine whether fantasy expands reality or replaces it.
Source: OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Author: Logan, Jack P.
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7083684287
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