ABSTRACT
What is psychic life, and why should it be of concern to geographers? These questions may be especially pertinent given that there has been a long tradition in geography, successfully challenged by feminist and critical thinkers, to restrict the focus of study to decidedly non-intimate matters, such that bodies, emotions and even homes, were long considered beyond the geographical pale. Thanks to a range of critical approaches that draw on interdisciplinary theoretical resources we are now well aware that the ‘geographies closest in’ (Longhurst 2001; Davidson and Milligan 2004) exert an enormously significant impact on every aspect of our lives. The space of the psyche might be considered ‘closest’ of all, significant in terms of its impact on identity formation, and at least as complex and intertwined as the body. So, while not traditionally considered a legitimate part of geographers’ terrain, some geographers have begun to look at what constitutes psychic life.
