Hallucination, imagery, dreaming: reassembling stimulus-independent perceptions based on Edmund Parish's classic misperception framework
Flavie Waters, Joseph M Barnby, Jan Dirk Blom
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences December 13, 2020 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0701 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Perception Stimulus psychology Phenomenology philosophy Mental image Cognitive psychology Cognition Cognitive science Epistemology |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key findings | Hallucinations, mental imagery, and dreams share phenomenological and neural similarities that can be integrated into a common framework of stimulus-independent perception. |
Abstract
Within the broad field of human perception lies the category of stimulus-independent perceptions, which draws together experiences such as hallucinations, mental imagery and dreams. Traditional divisions between medical and psychological sciences have contributed to these experiences being investigated separately. This review aims to examine their similarities and differences at the levels of phenomenology and underlying brain function and thus reassemble them within a common framework. Using Edmund Parish's historical work as a guiding tool and the latest research findings in the cognitive, clinical and computational sciences, we consider how different perspectives may be reconciled and help generate novel hypotheses for future research. This article is part of the theme issue 'Offline perception: voluntary and spontaneous perceptual experiences without matching external stimulation'.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming | 2019 | Review | |
| Sleep and dreaming are for important matters | 2013 | Review | |
| Nightmare Disorder and Isolated Sleep Paralysis | 2020 | Review | |
| My Dream, My Rules: Can Lucid Dreaming Treat Nightmares? | 2019 | Review | |
| Dream Recall: State or Trait Variable? Part I: Model, Theories, Methodology and Trait Factors | 1996 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- The evolutionary origin of psychosis Frontiers in Psychiatry January 20, 2023
- Electrophysiological Correlates of Lucid Dreaming: Sensor and Source Level Signatures. Journal of Neuroscience May 14, 2025
- Dreaming Characteristics in Non-Rapid Eye Movement Parasomnia and Idiopathic Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behaviour Disorder: Similarities and Differences Nature and Science of Sleep March 1, 2024
- The Phenomenology of Offline Perception: Multisensory Profiles of Voluntary Mental Imagery and Dream Imagery. Vision (Basel, Switzerland) April 21, 2025
- Carl Jung: a life on the edge of reality with hypnagogia, hyperphantasia, and hallucinations Frontiers in Psychology March 7, 2024
and 7 more in the library
Cites 11
- Dreaming: a neuroimaging view Schweizer Archiv Fur Neurologie Und Psychiatrie December 7, 2005
- Hallucinations: A Systematic Review of Points of Similarity and Difference Across Diagnostic Classes. Schizophrenia Bulletin November 21, 2016
- What Is the Link Between Hallucinations, Dreams, and Hypnagogic-Hypnopompic Experiences? Schizophrenia Bulletin June 29, 2016
- Visual hallucinations in the psychosis spectrum and comparative information from neurodegenerative disorders and eye disease. Schizophrenia Bulletin July 1, 2014
- Culture and hallucinations: overview and future directions. Schizophrenia Bulletin July 1, 2014
and 6 more in the library