Janet, Pierre Marie Felix (1859-1947) was a French neurologist and psychologist who is best known for his research into the phenomenon of dissociation. He was one of the first to identify dissociation as a psychological phenomenon and his theories influenced many later psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.
Janet’s work was pivotal in the development of psychotherapy and the understanding of mental illness. He proposed that patients with psychological disorders were suffering from a form of dissociation, which he called “mental isolation”. He argued that this was the result of traumatic experiences which had caused a disruption in the person’s psychological functioning. This disruption resulted in the person becoming disconnected from reality, leading to a state of psychological fragmentation.
Janet believed that the only way to treat psychological disorders was to help the person reintegrate the fragmented parts of their psyche. He proposed that psychotherapy could be used to help the patient to recognize and accept the traumatic experiences that had caused the dissociation, and to develop a new, integrated self-concept.
Janet’s theories of dissociation and mental isolation have been influential in the field of psychology. His work has been cited in the works of many other psychologists, and his theories are still widely studied today.
For further reading on Janet, Pierre Marie Felix (1859-1947):
– Meyer, J. (2008). Pierre Janet and the Phenomenon of Dissociation. The American Journal of Psychology, 121(1), 1-15.
– Brand, B. L., & Young, A. W. (2017). History of dissociation: From Pierre Janet to the present. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 51(3), 207-214.
– Gabbard, G. O. (2010). Pierre Janet and the legacy of dissociation. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(8), 876-881.
– Cardeña, E., & Gleaves, D. H. (2001). Pierre Janet and the phenomenology of dissociation. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(10), 1515-1520.