The Transformation of Cathexis: From Ego Investment to the Quintic Leap of Xrealism

This paper explores the transformation of the psychoanalytic concept of cathexis, particularly as articulated by Paul Federn, into the philosophical framework of Xrealism. Federn’s model of ego feeling as the foundation of the self is critically expanded through the concept of the conscioperceptual unit (unitasconspercepta), in which cathexis no longer invests objects or ego structures, but collapses inward into the quintuple leap—an ontological transformation marked by the implosion of representational form and the emergence of a pre-conceptual presence. This new ontology reframes energy, presence, and identity within the dynamic structure of the Xrealism matrix. This work reflectes the authors personal philosophical reflections and does not represent the official position or scientific standpoint of General Hospital Varaždin Author / AutorLadislav GradečakORCID iD: 0009-0009-8972-8834© 2025 Ladislav Gradečak. Licensed under CC BY 4.0