A basic distinction is made among the wish to die, the act of self-injury & the terminal outcome. A self injury theory of suicidal phenomena is developed, based on the hypothsis that the individual is seeking a change in his awareness of an unacceptable deprivation. Within this framework, suicidal deaths are conceptualized as terminal outcomes in people whose awareness-changing behavior includes various degrees of self-injurious acts, both with & without awareness of self-destructive potential.