Guiomar Gabriel (*)

José A. Carvalho Teixeira (**)

RESUMO

Pretende-se neste artigo fornecer uma perspectiva sistematizada e abrangente da obra de Ronald D. Laing (1927-1989), com acento tónico no seu contributo para a psicopatologia.

É apresentada a perspectiva de Laing sobre a psicopatologia clássica e a sua proposta para uma psicopatologia segundo um critério ontológico, de tipo fenomenológico-existencial. Expõe-se a evolução do pensamento de Laing sobre a psicose, referindo-se os conceitos de segurança e insegurança ontológica; sistema de falso Self; três tipos de ansiedade presentes na perturbação esquizofrénica; desenvolvimento “good-bad-mad”; mistificação; psicose como forma de suportar uma situação insustentável; psicose como experiência transcendental e de viagem ao mundo interior; inteligibilidade de sintomas no seio do grupo de pertença. Por fim, identificam-se críticas efectuadas à obra de Laing, e destacam-se alguns aspectos da sua actualidade.

Palavras-chave: Laing, psicopatologia, fenomenologia, existencialismo, psicose.

The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic overview on the work of Ronald D. Laing (1927-1989), specifically his contributions to psychopathology and his view on psychosis.

Laing’s critical perspectives on traditional psychopathology, and his suggestion of a different, ontological criterion for a phenomenological-existential psychopathology, are referred. This paper presents Laing’s evolving views on psychosis and several of his concepts such as: ontological insecurity; false Self system; three types of anxiety present in the ontological insecure individuals; “good-bad-mad” developments; mystification; psychosis as a way of coping with an unbearable situation; psychosis as a transcendental experience and a journey to the inner world; intelligibility of symptoms.

Finally, a critical perspective on laingian concepts and a personal discussion on Laing’s actuality and pertinence are presented.

Key words: Laing, psychopathology, phenomenology, existentialism, psychosis.

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(*) Mestranda em Relação de Ajuda – Perspectivas da Psicoterapia Existencial, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisboa, Portugal.

(**) Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisboa, Portugal. Sociedade Portuguesa de Psicoterapia Existencial, Lisboa.