Hallucinations Beyond Voices: A Conceptual Review of the Phenomenology of Altered Perception in Psychosis.
Elizabeth Pienkos, Anne Giersch, Marie Hansen, Clara Humpston, Simon McCarthy-Jones, Aaron Mishara, Barnaby Nelson, Sohee Park, Andrea Raballo, Rajiv Sharma, Neil Thomas, Cherise Rosen
Schizophrenia Bulletin February 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby057 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Citations | 93 |
| Key findings | Hallucinations are an equifinal outcome of multiple genetic, neurocognitive, subjective, and social processes, and grouping them under a single definition may ignore meaningful differences in etiology and phenomenology. |
Abstract
Recent psychiatric research and treatment initiatives have tended to move away from traditional diagnostic categories and have focused instead on transdiagnostic phenomena, such as hallucinations. However, this emphasis on isolated experiences may artificially limit the definition of such phenomena and ignore the rich, complex, and dynamic changes occurring simultaneously in other domains of experience. This article reviews the literature on a range of experiential features associated with psychosis, with a focus on their relevance for hallucinations. Phenomenological research on changes in cognition, perception, selfhood and reality, temporality, interpersonal experience, and embodiment are discussed, along with their implications for traditional conceptualizations of hallucinations. We then discuss several phenomenological and neurocognitive theories, as well as the potential impact of trauma on these phenomena. Hallucinations are suggested to be an equifinal outcome of multiple genetic, neurocognitive, subjective, and social processes; by grouping them together under a single, operationalizable definition, meaningful differences in etiology and phenomenology may be ignored. It is suggested that future research efforts strive to incorporate a broader range of experiential alterations, potentially expanding on traditional definitions of hallucinations. Relevance for clinical practice, including emphasizing phenomenologically responsive techniques and developing targeted new therapies, is discussed.
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 27
- LSD, madness and healing: Mystical experiences as possible link between psychosis model and therapy model. Psychological Medicine March 1, 2023
- (Attenuated) hallucinations join basic symptoms in a transdiagnostic network cluster analysis Schizophrenia Research February 26, 2022
- Ontogenesis of self-disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum: A phenomenological neuro-developmental model. Schizophrenia Research October 1, 2024
- The evolutionary origin of psychosis Frontiers in Psychiatry January 20, 2023
- Hallucinations and Hallucinogens: Psychopathology or Wisdom? Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry June 1, 2023
and 22 more in the library
Cites 30
- Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry 2003
- Disturbances in body ownership in schizophrenia: evidence from the rubber hand illusion and case study of a spontaneous out-of-body experience. PLoS One June 10, 2016
- Self, Solipsism, and Schizophrenic Delusions Philosophy, psychiatry & psychology June 1, 2001
- Temporal structure of consciousness and minimal self in schizophrenia. Frontiers in Psychology 2014
- Thought insertion as a self-disturbance: An integration of predictive coding and phenomenological approaches Frontiers in Human Neuroscience December 22, 2016
and 25 more in the library