Visual Thinking and Similar Phenomena

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Abstract
The existence of an uncommon, in adults of our culture, type of thinking in terms of vivid visual images, i.e. of “visual thinking” was postulated. It was thought to be related to autistic thinking, to archetypal images, and to some similar phenomena, belonging to the vast group of “waking fantasies”. The phenomenology of “visual thinking” and of some other para-hallucinatory experiences was briefly sketched and illustrated by a few clinical cases. One of them clearly manifested a habitual way of thinking in visual images. On some occasions this would become obsessionally perseverative, and then the patient would become aware of it. Some other illustrations (i.e. our cases “C” and “D”) presented a typical picture of obsessional neurosis accompanied by a vivid obsessional visual imagery, precipitated by some emotionally over-valued, or traumatizing, ideas, or “fears”. Certain aetiological hypotheses were put forward, and some suggestions regarding the possible treatment were made.

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