Introduction
A fantasy is ordinarily regarded as detached from reality, e.g., whimsical daydreams, unrealistic plans, or artistic fiction. Inquiring about the human fantasy life overlaps topics such as creativity, imagination, dreams, play, as well as dissociative disorders. There is no unified field of research dedicated to the vicissitudes of fantasy. Various issues are identified, theorized, and empirically explored within intellectual communities that historically had little dialogue with each other. Some lines of inquiry differ simply due to divergent aims. Whereas developmental psychologists study children’s pretend play toward advancing knowledge of typical development, psychologists of individual differences may identify characteristics of a fantasy-prone personality as correlates of psychopathology. Research in both contexts centers on what the fantasizer consciously recognizes as unreal. While the issues of both developmental functions and mental health implications enter...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Adams, M. V. (2004). The fantasy principle: Psychoanalysis of the imagination. Hove/New York: Bruner-Routledge.
Bakhtin, M. M. (1984). Problems of Dostoevsky’s poetics. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minneapolis Press.
Bleuler, E. (1951). Autistic thinking. In D. Rapaport (Ed.), Organization and pathology of thought. New York: Columbia University Press. (Original work published in 1913).
James, W. (1890). The principles of psychology. New York: Holt.
Jones, R. A. (2007). Jung, psychology, postmodernity. London: Routledge.
Jones, R. A., & Hermans, H. (2011). The dialogical and the imaginal. In R. A. Jones & M. Morioka (Eds.), Jungian and dialogical self perspectives. London: Palgrave.
Jung, C. G. (1952). Symbols of transformation (Collected works, Vol. 5). London: Routledge.
Lacan, J. (1966–1967). The logic of fantasy. Unpublished seminar.
Piaget, J. (1962). Play, dreams and imitation in childhood. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Rapaport, D. (Ed.). (1951). Organization and pathology of thought. New York: Columbia University Press.
Steiner, R. (Ed.). (2003). Unconscious phantasy. London: Karnac.
Vygotsky, L. (1986). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. (Original work published in 1934).
Winnicott, D. W. (1971). Playing and reality. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Jones, R.A. (2014). Fantasy, Overview. In: Teo, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_351
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_351
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5582-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5583-7
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Sciences