schizoid-and-schizophrenic-experience

The 'Preamble' chapter of R. D. Laing's 'The Divided Self' introduces the book's aim to make madness, particularly schizoid and schizophrenic conditions, comprehensible through an existential and phenomenological lens. Laing emphasizes the experience of individuals estranged from themselves and society, developing a 'false self' as a coping mechanism, and situates his work as distinct from but indebted to existential philosophy and psychoanalysis. The chapter also outlines the scope and limitations of the study, acknowledging clinical observations and intellectual influences while clarifying what the book does not attempt to do.