<p>I would say subliminal is more cognitive, while cathexis is more emotional, though can be triggered/catalysed cognitive or subliminal.</p>

<p>Subliminal is hard to define though, and cathexis from the field of psychoanalysis is kind of speculative. However there is obviously some kind of mechanism occuring, and having good words for the phenomenas occuring in the brain is useful, but prone to misunderstandings.</p>

<p>The wikipedia article is useful: 
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathexis" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathexis</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-01T02:02:32.370Z
2020-06-01T10:36:06.153Z
2020-06-01T10:36:06.153Z
agiopnl
<p>I was aware about a term called Sublimation. Recently, I came along a word called Cathexis. After looking for its meaning in the dictionary, I realised, that it is not the synonym of Sublimation despite the meaning being quite similar. How do I differentiate between  Sublimation and Cathexis? Are there any similarities as well?</p>

<cognitive-psychology><social-psychology><psychology><cross-cultural-psychology>
Sublimation & Cathexis
user258458
# Sublimation & Cathexis

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-05-31)

I was aware about a term called Sublimation. Recently, I came along a word called Cathexis. After looking for its meaning in the dictionary, I realised, that it is not the synonym of Sublimation despite the meaning being quite similar. How do I differentiate between Sublimation and Cathexis? Are there any similarities as well?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, social-psychology, psychology, cross-cultural-psychology


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-01. Score: 1

I would say subliminal is more cognitive, while cathexis is more emotional, though can be triggered/catalysed cognitive or subliminal.

Subliminal is hard to define though, and cathexis from the field of psychoanalysis is kind of speculative. However there is obviously some kind of mechanism occuring, and having good words for the phenomenas occuring in the brain is useful, but prone to misunderstandings.

The wikipedia article is useful:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathexis>


---

