Occurrence and phenomenology of hallucinations in the general population: A large online survey
Mascha M.J. Linszen, Janna De Boer, Maya Schutte, Marieke Begemann, Jacqueline de Vries, Sanne Koops, Renske E. Blom, Marc M. Bohlken, Sophie M. Heringa, Jan Dirk Blom, Iris E C Sommer
Schizophrenia April 23, 2022 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00229-9 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractHallucinations occur in 6-15% of the general population, but their detailed characteristics are poorly understood. In a large online survey of 10,448 participants aged 14-88, auditory hallucinations were most common in the past month (29.5%), followed by visual (21.5%), tactile (19.9%), and olfactory (17.3%); nearly half (47.6%) experienced hallucinations in two or more senses. Many participants rated their hallucinations as severe due to negative content (16.0-31.6%), distress (10.5-16.8%), or dysfunction (12.7-17.3%). Decreased insight occurred in 10.2-11.4%, hypnagogia in 9.0-10.6%, and bereavement hallucinations in 2.8%. Delusions were rare (7.0%) but significantly associated with recent hallucinations. The findings indicate a wide variety of hallucination phenomenology in the general population and support a phenomenological continuum.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10,448 |
| Population | General population aged 14-88 years |
| Keywords | Visual hallucination Phenomenology philosophy Population Distress Auditory hallucination |
| Citations | 55 |
| Key finding | Auditory hallucinations were the most common sensory modality (29.5%), and nearly half of participants reported hallucinations in two or more modalities, with substantial proportions experiencing severe negative content, distress, and dysfunction. |
Abstract
Although epidemiological studies report that hallucinations occur in 6-15% of the general population, little is known about their phenomenology. To overcome this paucity, this study investigates the phenomenological characteristics of hallucinations in the general population, by using a nationally promoted online survey to assess hallucination phenomenology in four sensory modalities, through a self-report version of the Questionnaire for Psychotic Experiences (QPE), in 10,448 participants (aged 14-88 years). The phenomenology of hallucinations was assessed if hallucinations reportedly occurred in the past month. In the past month, auditory hallucinations were reported most frequently (29.5%), followed by visual (21.5%), tactile (19.9%), and olfactory hallucinations (17.3%); hallucinations in two or more modalities were reported by 47.6%. Substantial numbers of participants rated their hallucinations as severe, due to negative content (16.0-31.6%), previous bothersome experiences (14.8-20.2%), ensuing distress (10.5-16.8%), and/or ensuing disfunctioning (12.7-17.3%). Decreased insight was found in 10.2-11.4%. Hypnagogia was reported by 9.0-10.6%, and bereavement hallucinations by 2.8%. Despite a low prevalence of delusions (7.0%), these phenomena were significantly associated with recent hallucinations, observed in up to 13.4% of the participants with hallucinations during the past week (p < 0.001). Our results indicate a wide variety of the phenomenology of hallucinations in the general population and support the existence of a phenomenological continuum.