Phenomenology of the Technical Delusion in Schizophrenics

Technical delusions are highly significant for the diagnosis of schizophrenia. What can we learn from the content and the formal aspects of this kind of delusion about the primary schizophrenic experiences underlying the technical delusion and about its meaning and purpose for the patient? In a phenomenological investigation of six schizophrenics, comparing their experiences in technical delusion with the normal experience of technical phenomena, I describe the patient's relationship to himself, to his world, and to others and the modalities of his hallucinatory perceptions. Finally, I discuss the effect of the technical delusion on the patient's relationship to reality.