Thinking about hallucinations: why philosophy matters.
Sam Wilkinson, Huw Green, Stephanie M Hare, Joseph Houlders, Clara Humpston, Benjamin Alderson-Day
Cognitive Neuropsychiatry 2022 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2021.2007067 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Hallucinations Psychosis |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key findings | Philosophy makes significant contributions to hallucinations research through phenomenology, philosophy of cognitive science, and philosophy of science and psychiatry. |
Abstract
Introduction: Hallucinations research is increasingly incorporating philosophy or the work of philosophically trained individuals. We present three different ways in which this is successfully implemented to the enhancement of knowledge and understanding of hallucinations and related phenomena.Method: We review contributions from phenomenology, philosophy of cognitive science, and philosophy of science and psychiatry.Results: We demonstrate that these areas of philosophy make significant contributions to hallucinations research. Phenomenology gives us a sophisticated and critical understanding of the lived experience of hallucinations. Philosophy of cognitive science enables big-picture theorising and synthesis of ideas, as well as a critical engagement with new paradigms. Philosophy of science and psychiatry raises valuable and theoretically informed questions about diagnosis and categorisation.Conclusions: These contributions reflect both the methodological variety within philosophy and its relevance to the hallucinations researcher.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Consciousness: A Philosophy of Mindfulness and Somaesthetics | 2008 | Review article | |
| Phenomenology, Structure, and Dynamic of Psychedelic States | 2016 | Review | |
| Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates. | 2018 | Review | |
| The lived experience of psychosis: a bottom-up review co-written by experts by experience and academics. Individuals with lived experience of psychosis, family members, and carers | 2022 | Co-written bottom-up review | |
| From autopoiesis to neurophenomenology: Francisco Varela's exploration of the biophysics of being. | 2003 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Enchanted consciousness revisited – Ayahuasca visualizations and Sartre's ideas on hallucination Journal of Psychedelic Studies March 9, 2026
- The Hitchhiker's guide to hallucination research. Consciousness and Cognition November 1, 2025
- Hallucinations at the interface of philosophy and the empirical sciences. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Editorial: new directions in hallucination research Cognitive Neuropsychiatry April 10, 2022
Cites 16
- Interoceptive inference, emotion, and the embodied self Trends in Cognitive Sciences October 12, 2013
- Hallucinations Beyond Voices: A Conceptual Review of the Phenomenology of Altered Perception in Psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin February 1, 2019
- Losing Ourselves: Active Inference, Depersonalization, and Meditation. Frontiers in Psychology 2020
- Thought insertion as a self-disturbance: An integration of predictive coding and phenomenological approaches Frontiers in Human Neuroscience December 22, 2016
- Beyond Trauma: A Multiple Pathways Approach to Auditory Hallucinations in Clinical and Nonclinical Populations Schizophrenia Bulletin August 8, 2018
and 11 more in the library