The Narrated Mind: Narrative Medicine and Psychoneurology between Brain, Relationship, and Meaning

Journal title RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA
Author/s Francesca Sireci, Franco Valzania, Antonio Iudici, Sara Montepietra
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/1
Language Italian Pages 27 P. 73-99 File size 822 KB
DOI 10.3280/RSF2026-001005
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Objective. This article proposes an integrated framework for understanding and treating mind-body disorders through the dialogue be-tween Narrative Medicine, Interactionist Psychotherapy, and Psychoneurol-ogy. The aim is to overcome traditional dichotomies between the “organic” and the “psychological” by conceptualising illness as an emergent phenom-enon arising from the dynamic interaction among neurobiological processes, personal narratives, and relational contexts. Methods. The paper is based on a theoretical-argumentative analysis integrating: the principles of Narrative Medicine; Rom Harré’s Positioning Theory; and neuroscientific evidence on interoception, self-referential processing, and emotional regulation, with par-ticular reference to the insula and the Default Mode Network. The proposed model is illustrated through clinical, educational, and research applications drawn from the experience of the Psychoneurology Unit at AUSL-IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, including qualitative research approaches. Results. The analysis shows that mind-body disorders can be understood as emergent and non-reifiable processes, sustained by neurofunctional configurations that are sensitive to meaning-making and discursive practices. In clinical settings, the narrative-psychoneurological approach promotes greater mind-body inte-gration and a reduction of hyper-salience of bodily signals. In educational contexts, narrative and andragogical practices enhance clinicians’ commu-nicative skills and professional self-awareness. In research, qualitative meth-odologies enable the exploration of dimensions of clinical experience that cannot be adequately captured by traditional quantitative methods.

Keywords: Narrative Medicine; Psychoneurology; Mind-Body Disorders; Interactionist Approach; Narrative Processes; Therapeutic Relationship.

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Francesca Sireci, Franco Valzania, Antonio Iudici, Sara Montepietra, La mente raccontata: medicina narrativa e psiconeurologia tra cervello, relazione e significato in "RIVISTA SPERIMENTALE DI FRENIATRIA" 1/2026, pp 73-99, DOI: 10.3280/RSF2026-001005