schizophrenic reflux

The term "human exit" evokes images of the collapse of traditional notions of humanity, signaling a post-human departure from the centralized, coherent subject that has dominated Western philosophy. This idea draws from post-structuralism and post-humanism, challenging the foundational assumptions about what it means to be human in the face of technological evolution and linguistic deconstruction. Jean Baudrillard’s theory of simulacra offers a useful framework for understanding "human exit" as a departure from the real and the human. Baudrillard argues that in the age of hyperreality, where simulations and copies of the real dominate, the distinction between the human and non-human becomes meaningless. As he writes, “The real is not only what can be reproduced, but that which is always already reproduced: that is the hyperreal”. In this context, "human exit" can be seen as the moment when the human dissolves into a series of codes, images, and simulations, where the distinction between the organic and the digital ceases to exist. Philosophically, this can be further linked to Friedrich Nietzsche's proclamation of the "death of God" and its consequences for human existence. Nietzsche’s declaration was not only a theological statement but also a philosophical one: the collapse of absolute truths leads to the dissolution of the human subject who once relied on those truths. In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche writes, “Man is something that shall be overcome. What have you done to overcome him?” Here, Nietzsche anticipates the "human exit" as a necessary consequence of the collapse of metaphysical certainties. In a world where there is no ultimate meaning, the traditional human subject, with its attachment to purpose and coherence, must be left behind. The exit from the human, then, is an existential necessity, driven by the need to overcome the limitations imposed by older models of selfhood. "Schizophrenic reflux," a concept deeply tied to the idea of mental and linguistic disintegration, aligns closely with Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s theory of schizophrenia in Anti-Oedipus. For Deleuze and Guattari, schizophrenia is not just a mental disorder but a fundamental process of deterritorialization, where the rigid boundaries of identity, language, and desire break down, allowing for new forms of connection and expression. In their exploration of capitalist society, Deleuze and Guattari suggest that schizophrenia represents a form of liberation from the fixed structures of identity, which are typically mediated through social, familial, and linguistic constraints. As they write, “Schizophrenia is not the breakdown of the mind but the breakthrough of the body without organs”. In this sense, "schizophrenic reflux" can be interpreted as a cyclical process of deterritorialization, where identity and language are continuously broken down and reformed in increasingly fragmented ways. From this perspective, the term "reflux" suggests a continual oscillation between states of coherence and incoherence. This aligns with Jacques Derrida’s concept of différance, where meaning is perpetually deferred, never fully present. Derrida argues that language itself is inherently unstable, as it depends on the constant deferral of meaning through signs and symbols. In Of Grammatology, Derrida explains, “There is no outside-text” (Il n'y a pas de hors-texte), meaning that meaning is always contingent on its relationship with other signs, constantly slipping and reforming. The process of "schizophrenic reflux" reflects this endless play of language, where meaning is repeatedly broken down and reconstituted in unpredictable, fragmented ways. Philosophically, this also echoes Nietzsche’s vision of the fragmented self. In The Gay Science, Nietzsche speaks of the self as a “multiplicity of drives,” a chaotic assemblage of competing forces and desires that defy any coherent, unified subjectivity. "Schizophrenic reflux" thus represents the collapse of any stable, continuous self, emphasizing instead the fragmented, disjointed experience of existence in the face of overwhelming external forces. Both "human exit" and "schizophrenic reflux" reflect broader philosophical concerns about the impact of technology on human identity and experience. In the works of Martin Heidegger, particularly in his essay The Question Concerning Technology, we find a meditation on how technology fundamentally alters our relationship to the world. Heidegger argues that technology enframes the world, reducing everything, including human beings, to mere resources. As he writes, “The essence of technology is by no means anything technological. The essence of technology lies in enframing.” This enframing strips away the organic, the natural, and the human, leaving behind only systems of control and manipulation. In this sense, the "human exit" can be understood as a product of technological enframing. The human being, once a distinct, autonomous entity, is absorbed into the systems of technological mediation, becoming just another element in the cybernetic network. Similarly, "schizophrenic reflux" represents the mental and linguistic consequences of this absorption, where the individual’s sense of self and meaning collapses under the weight of digital mediation and endless information flows.