ABSTRACT
I should begin by defining my terms of reference. When Professor Hafner first invited me to look into a crystal ball and formulate new research strategies in schizophrenia, I asked him whether my contribution was to be delivered in a session devoted to astrological psychiatry. He replied, with characteristic discretion, that he preferred to think in terms of astronomical psychiatry, exemplified by a star-studded symposium. Eventually, however, he returned to earth to explain that my contribution might serve to bridge the gap between the two general introductory reviews and the more specific papers to follow. A transitional paper of this type should allow for both a backward glance to where we have come from and an anticipation of where we are going without trespassing on the areas to be cultivated in this symposium. To try and achieve this objective I propose to subdivide my paper into three sections: definition, outcome, and causation.
