Learning From Artemisia’s Lucretia: Embodied Suffering and Interoception in Suicide
In the painting “Lucretia,” Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the major painters of the 17th century, depicts Lucretia’s suicide. This artwork empathic vision offers the spectator the apprehension of a unique phenomenon where psychological pain is transformed into self-aggression. To understand why the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00758/full |
| _version_ | 1828824845318619136 |
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| author | Philippe Courtet Philippe Courtet Philippe Courtet Sébastien Guillaume Sébastien Guillaume Sébastien Guillaume |
| author_facet | Philippe Courtet Philippe Courtet Philippe Courtet Sébastien Guillaume Sébastien Guillaume Sébastien Guillaume |
| author_sort | Philippe Courtet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the painting “Lucretia,” Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the major painters of the 17th century, depicts Lucretia’s suicide. This artwork empathic vision offers the spectator the apprehension of a unique phenomenon where psychological pain is transformed into self-aggression. To understand why the body becomes an object to attack, it is important to study the role of interoception and self-awareness in the suicidal process. This essay discusses how bodily representations are crucial for interacting efficiently and safely with the outside world and for establishing the sense of self. It presents some of the available evidence showing that alterations in the body representation and in the sensations perceived by it contribute to suicide. Indeed, neuroimaging studies show that social environmental factors and their biological consequences in the body (e.g., increased neuroinflammation) can alter the neural networks of suicidal behavior by increasing the sensitivity to psychological pain and the disconnection from self-awareness. Therefore, body image, sensations and awareness as well as psychological pain should be examined to improve the understanding of the dynamic interactions between body, brain, and mind that underly suicidal behavior. This conceptualization brings clinical and therapeutic perspectives in a domain where they are urgently needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T14:05:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4c18df433a6e4b6483a1983c0aec2109 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T14:05:01Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c18df433a6e4b6483a1983c0aec21092022-12-22T00:22:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402020-07-011110.3389/fpsyt.2020.00758550888Learning From Artemisia’s Lucretia: Embodied Suffering and Interoception in SuicidePhilippe Courtet0Philippe Courtet1Philippe Courtet2Sébastien Guillaume3Sébastien Guillaume4Sébastien Guillaume5PSNREC, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, FranceDepartment of Emergency Psychiatry and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, FranceFondaMental Foundation, Créteil, FrancePSNREC, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, FranceDepartment of Emergency Psychiatry and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, FranceFondaMental Foundation, Créteil, FranceIn the painting “Lucretia,” Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the major painters of the 17th century, depicts Lucretia’s suicide. This artwork empathic vision offers the spectator the apprehension of a unique phenomenon where psychological pain is transformed into self-aggression. To understand why the body becomes an object to attack, it is important to study the role of interoception and self-awareness in the suicidal process. This essay discusses how bodily representations are crucial for interacting efficiently and safely with the outside world and for establishing the sense of self. It presents some of the available evidence showing that alterations in the body representation and in the sensations perceived by it contribute to suicide. Indeed, neuroimaging studies show that social environmental factors and their biological consequences in the body (e.g., increased neuroinflammation) can alter the neural networks of suicidal behavior by increasing the sensitivity to psychological pain and the disconnection from self-awareness. Therefore, body image, sensations and awareness as well as psychological pain should be examined to improve the understanding of the dynamic interactions between body, brain, and mind that underly suicidal behavior. This conceptualization brings clinical and therapeutic perspectives in a domain where they are urgently needed.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00758/fullsuicideinteroceptionself-awarenessartbody |
| spellingShingle | Philippe Courtet Philippe Courtet Philippe Courtet Sébastien Guillaume Sébastien Guillaume Sébastien Guillaume Learning From Artemisia’s Lucretia: Embodied Suffering and Interoception in Suicide Frontiers in Psychiatry suicide interoception self-awareness art body |
| title | Learning From Artemisia’s Lucretia: Embodied Suffering and Interoception in Suicide |
| title_full | Learning From Artemisia’s Lucretia: Embodied Suffering and Interoception in Suicide |
| title_fullStr | Learning From Artemisia’s Lucretia: Embodied Suffering and Interoception in Suicide |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning From Artemisia’s Lucretia: Embodied Suffering and Interoception in Suicide |
| title_short | Learning From Artemisia’s Lucretia: Embodied Suffering and Interoception in Suicide |
| title_sort | learning from artemisia s lucretia embodied suffering and interoception in suicide |
| topic | suicide interoception self-awareness art body |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00758/full |
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