Abstract
The horizon’s metaphor has been often used in literature, natural sciences, and philosophy as a catalyzer of the human aspiration to the Unknown. The chapter develops the idea of the psychological horizon, understood as one of the semiotic elements characterizing the relationship between the self and the environment. The psychological horizon is one of the catalytic factors enabling psychological events. Drawing from Kurt Lewin’s field theory, the chapter describes the features of the psychological horizon as a semiotic device and its role in the process of meaning construction. Through the idea of psychological horizon this reality-not-yet-to-be comes into our life, playing a role in setting up our goals through the imaginative power. The psychological horizon is the infinite realm of possibilities ahead of time yet to be semiotized, thus still partially socially unbounded, that is necessary as a reference point to the person’s widening of life space. The horizon/sign is the specific sign that, once produced, establishes the conditions for the psychological horizon to participate in the production of new psychological phenomena through the co-regulation of psychological processes. If the idea of the horizon/sign is well-founded, then the process of its production and the different types of horizon/signs could be studied in order to better understand their role in catalyzing the new psychological objects and the phenomena they trigger. Besides, a therapeutic use of horizon/signs aimed at fostering a reconstruction of the field could be imagined. Another potentially relevant field of application of the idea of horizon/signs is how they play a role in development and education.
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Notes
- 1.
I am grateful to Pina Marsico, University of Salerno (Italy), who gave me this insightful hint during a private conversation.
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Tateo, L. (2014). Beyond the Self and the Environment: The Psychological Horizon. In: Cabell, K., Valsiner, J. (eds) The Catalyzing Mind. Annals of Theoretical Psychology, vol 11. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8821-7_12
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