The role of metaphorical language in the context of mental illness

Within the framework of epistemic injustice observed in illness experiences (Fricker 2007; Kidd, Carel 2017), this paper highlights the beneficial role of metaphorical language in communicating inner states that cannot be expressed in literal language (Mould et al. 2017; Ervas 2024). This is apparent in the context of a complex disorder such as schizophrenia, where speakers have difficulty expressing their experience and suffer from a lack of credibility as patients and as people. Furthermore, disorders affecting the perception of the body can hinder the ability to relate to others (Gallese et al. 2024). While schizophrenic individuals exhibit pragmatic deficits (Bambini et al. 2016), evidence suggests their use of creative metaphors (Nichini et al. 2025). If metaphorical language can be a strategic expressive resource, then artistic creation, as a pre-reflective, embodied dimension of experience (Merleau-Ponty 1952), can also become an epistemic “bridge” between speaker and interpreter. This study therefore aims to demonstrate how, in the context of art-based therapeutic experiences (Attard et al. 2017; Mitchell, Meehan 2022), metaphorical inventiveness can reactivate sensorimotor circuits, enabling individuals to “feel at home” despite their illness.