The phenomenology of auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia and the challenge from pseudohallucinations.
Pablo López-silva, Álvaro Cavieres, Clara Humpston
Frontiers in Psychiatry August 16, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.826654 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Neurobiology Schizophrenia Auditory verbal hallucinations Pseudohallucinations |
| Key points | Argues that although the concept of pseudohallucination may not differentiate distinct phenomena at the neurobiological level and is falling out of use in major diagnostic systems, the inner/outer spatial distinction highlighted by Jaspers still poses an unresolved explanatory challenge, termed "the challenge from pseudohallucinations," for dominant neurocognitive theories of auditory verbal hallucinations. Proposes phenomenological, conceptual, and empirical directions for future research toward a more contextualized and dynamic account of auditory verbal hallucinatory phenomena. |
Abstract
In trying to make sense of the extensive phenomenological variation of first-personal reports on auditory verbal hallucinations, the concept of pseudohallucination is originally introduced to designate any hallucinatory-like phenomena not exhibiting some of the paradigmatic features of "genuine" hallucinations. After its introduction, Karl Jaspers locates the notion of pseudohallucinations into the auditory domain, appealing to a distinction between hallucinatory voices heard within the subjective inner space (pseudohallucination) and voices heard in the outer external space (real hallucinations) with differences in their sensory richness. Jaspers' characterization of the term has been the target of a number of phenomenological, conceptual and empirically-based criticisms. From this latter point of view, it has been claimed that the concept cannot capture distinct phenomena at the neurobiological level. Over the last years, the notion of pseudohallucination seems to be falling into disuse as no major diagnostic system seems to refer to it. In this paper, we propose that even if the concept of pseudohallucination is not helpful to differentiate distinct phenomena at the neurobiological level, the inner/outer distinction highlighted by Jaspers' characterization of the term still remains an open explanatory challenge for dominant theories about the neurocognitive origin of auditory verbal hallucinations. We call this, "the challenge from pseudohallucinations". After exploring this issue in detail, we propose some phenomenological, conceptual, and empirical paths for future research that might help to build up a more contextualized and dynamic view of auditory verbal hallucinatory phenomena.
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Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 15
- The Predictive Coding Account of Psychosis. Biological Psychiatry May 25, 2018
- Hallucinations Beyond Voices: A Conceptual Review of the Phenomenology of Altered Perception in Psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin February 1, 2019
- Thought insertion as a self-disturbance: An integration of predictive coding and phenomenological approaches Frontiers in Human Neuroscience December 22, 2016
- The Phenomenological Diversity of Hallucinations: Some theoretical and clinical implications Psychologica Belgica March 1, 2006
- Is Schizophrenia a Disorder of Consciousness? Experimental and Phenomenological Support for Anomalous Unconscious Processing. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
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