The challenge of neuroscience: psychiatry and phenomenology today.

The paper illustrates the present role of phenomenological psychopathology by outlining its methods and focusing on some of its major issues: embodiment or body scheme, intentionality, time consciousness and intersubjectivity. The application of these categories to the analysis of psychotic disorders is demonstrated. Special emphasis is given to the relationship between phenomenology and cognitive neuroscience, a relationship that has been variously viewed as 'mutual constraint' or as 'mutual enlightenment'. This is where a new cooperation linking phenomenology, psychopathology and cognitive science begins to emerge. Phenomenology offers a methodically developed theory of human subjectivity that is indispensable to any attempt to understand, explore and treat psychiatric disorders. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel