How did Frantz Fanon connect colonialism with psychological harm?

Frantz Fanon, a psychiatrist and social philosopher, analyzed the psychological impact of colonialism by observing how systemic violence and domination reordered the world of indigenous peoples. He argued that colonialism was not merely a political or economic structure but a force that fundamentally damaged the psyche of the colonized.1

In his work Black Skin, White Masks, Fanon utilized psychoanalysis and phenomenology to examine how colonial rule distorted racial consciousness and personal identity. He posited that the colonial experience imposed a "colonial mindset" upon the indigenous population, leading to a loss of sanity and national identity.12

Fanon believed that this psychological harm could only be reversed by reclaiming one's humanity through revolutionary action. He famously argued that, when properly directed, violence served as a cathartic tool for the colonized to purge the effects of oppression, restore their personal sanity, and regain control over their history and national identity.21