Schizogenesis: Some Definitions

1. Psychological Fragmentation or Splitting:

• In a psychological sense, schizogenesis could refer to a process of fragmentation within an individual's psyche. This could be seen as a precursor to or an early manifestation of disorders that involve identity splitting or cognitive dissonance, like in schizophrenia, where the individual might experience a split between their perceptions and reality.
• It might describe the way in which psychic conflict or unresolved contradictions within an individual can lead to a fracturing of thought processes, emotional states, and behavior patterns.

2. Sociopolitical Fragmentation:

• Schizogenesis could also be applied to societal or ideological fragmentation, where conflicting ideas, values, or worldviews create a splitting within a group or society. In this case, it might describe the process by which a society, culture, or political system becomes increasingly divided into incoherent or contradictory factions, leading to a lack of unity or shared purpose.
• For example, in modern political environments, as we've seen with deepening polarization, the schizogenesis of public discourse could refer to the growing split in collective narratives, where different groups hold radically different understandings of truth, reality, or morality.

3. The Emergence of Cognitive Dissonance:

• Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort that arises when a person holds conflicting beliefs or attitudes. Schizogenesis, in this sense, could be understood as the process by which these contradictory beliefs or behaviors are formed or amplified. This fragmentation of thought could be one of the forces behind social or personal instability, especially when people are unable to reconcile these contradictions, leading to mental distress, confusion, or societal breakdown.

4. Cultural or Ideological Schism:

• In a broader cultural or historical sense, schizogenesis could describe the emergence of cultural or ideological schisms. These divisions might occur within societies that face rapid changes, as differing values clash and create an internal conflict about identity, values, and the direction forward. The fracturing of the cultural or social psyche can result in deep disunity and ongoing tensions.

5. Schizogenesis in the Context of Control or Manipulation:

• Reflecting on the earlier discussion about division as control, schizogenesis could be interpreted as a process of orchestrating or exploiting division within a society or individual. This may involve deliberate actions (whether political, economic, or psychological) that create or intensify cognitive dissonance or ideological fragmentation in order to keep a population confused, powerless, or easier to control.

Summary:

While the term schizogenesis isn’t commonly used in professional psychology, it evokes the process of creating division or fracturing mental, societal, or ideological coherence. Whether this refers to individual psychological fragmentation, societal division, or conflicting beliefs within a culture, the concept hints at the mechanisms that cause or exacerbate psychological or social rifts, leading to instability or alienation. In a sense, it can be thought of as a genesis of fragmentation—a kind of beginning or cause of a divided, fractured state of being or thinking.