Logical Analysis of the Initial Stages of Schizophrenia

Abstract

Our intention, in this article, has been to study through logic what is occurring during the initial stages of delusional organization in schizophrenics. Classical authors noticed there were moments in which the patients suffered from a special uncertainty and anguish which they identified as “delusive humour”. At the same time, they observed, that when the delirium appeared, a great relief was produced in the affected person but it was the beginning of a long illness. For this task we have the collaboration of patients admitted to the psychiatric unit of the Hospital

“Virgen Macarena” who started a psychotic outbreak (total: 20 subjects). We then discovered that the predominant logical form in these clinical stages is the “propositional function” which tends, throughout the process, to the obstruction of its variable, in which case “propositions” are obtained. This closure does not occur by chance, but shows some rules which are studied here. The ultimate result is not encouraging since it moves towards formulas in which there is an obvious “logical error” that influences the person and submits him to that error with no escape. We can say that schizophrenics, when trying to remedy the problem, run into another which is much worse than the previous one. And it is precisely there that we have discovered an “inner logic” within the same unreason.