cathexis
Pronunciation: ka-THEK-sis
The investment of psychic energy or emotional significance in a person, object, idea, or mental representation.
Full Definition
Cathexis refers to the process by which libidinal or aggressive energy becomes attached to or invested in mental representations of people, objects, ideas, or parts of the self. This concept is central to understanding how psychological attachments form and change over time. Strong cathexis indicates high emotional investment, while withdrawal of cathexis suggests disinvestment or loss of emotional significance. The distribution and redistribution of cathectic energy explains phenomena such as mourning, falling in love, symptom formation, and therapeutic change. Cathexis can be positive (libidinal) or negative (aggressive).
Usage
Usage note: Plural is cathexes. From Greek meaning 'to occupy or hold.'
In Context
- "The patient's intense cathexis of the lost object prevented successful mourning." — Grief therapy assessment
- "Decathexis of the parental imago allowed for more mature object relationships." — Analytic progress note