Coyote Walks the Line: A Study of Boundaries in People Being Treated for Schizophrenia and Their Art.

Buck, J. (2002). Coyote Walks the Line: A Study of Boundaries in People Being Treated for Schizophrenia and Their Art. (Doctoral dissertation, Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2002).

This is an art-based phenomenological study of boundaries available to four people being treated for schizophrenia, who participate as co-researchers by using active imagination to engage lines and edges, in two of their own drawings, in an imaginal dialogue. A portrait of the actual and imaginal experience is created to provide answers to the three research questions: What is the experience of lines and edges? Do lines and edges in art work relate to psychological boundaries? Is it possible for the person being treated for schizophrenia to integrate and use boundaries that appear as lines and edges in their drawings?

The literature review explores schizophrenia, boundaries, lines, and edges from the perspectives of psychology, art, and art therapy. The relationship of schizophrenia to art, art to dialogue, and dialogue to active imagination establishes a base of understanding from which to proceed. Phenomenology recognizes art work as a form of lived experience and encourages subjects to participate as co-researchers.

The co-researchers became the expert regarding their own experience. Reflecting on the dialogue transcript deepened the co-researchers understanding of the lines input and their own experience. The co-researchers were lead into new realms and used different skills to get there. The portraits are a combination of dialogue and reflection session contents.

The discussion of each portrait makes connections between the lines experience and the co-researcher. Relationships emerge indicating boundaries. The lines are found to be related to but independent of each co-researcher and as the lines role in the drawing changes, the boundaries change. Lines and edges in the drawings can be boundaries between self and other, separate internal from external experience, and distinguish reality from fantasy.

The co-researchers participation is a remarkable demonstration of their ability to have and use boundaries. During their participation the co-researchers gained new understanding of themselves and their art work that was frequently used immediately within the sessions.