From phenomenology to neurophysiological understanding of hallucinations in children and adolescents.
Renaud Jardri, Agna A. Bartels‐Velthuis, Martin Debbané, Jack A. Jenner, Ian Kelleher, Yves Dauvilliers, Giuseppe Plazzi, Morgane Demeulemeester, Christopher N David, Judith L. Rapoport, Dries Dobbelaere, Sandra Escher, Charles Fernyhough
Schizophrenia Bulletin July 2014 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbu029 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Children and adolescents with hallucinations |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Adolescence Childhood Hallucinations |
| Key findings | Hallucinations are common in childhood and are typically vivid and multisensory, sometimes resolving spontaneously. The authors report that better theory of mind skills are associated with reduced risk of further delusional ideation, whereas ideas of reference, passivity phenomena, and misidentification syndrome are associated with increased risk of self-injury or heteroaggressive behaviors. They argue that specific functional impairments relate to phenomenological features such as intrusiveness and sense of reality. |
Abstract
Typically reported as vivid, multisensory experiences which may spontaneously resolve, hallucinations are present at high rates during childhood. The risk of associated psychopathology is a major cause of concern. On the one hand, the risk of developing further delusional ideation has been shown to be reduced by better theory of mind skills. On the other hand, ideas of reference, passivity phenomena, and misidentification syndrome have been shown to increase the risk of self-injury or heteroaggressive behaviors. Cognitive psychology and brain-imaging studies have advanced our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying these early-onset hallucinations. Notably, specific functional impairments have been associated with certain phenomenological characteristics of hallucinations in youths, including intrusiveness and the sense of reality. In this review, we provide an update of associated epidemiological and phenomenological factors (including sociocultural context, social adversity, and genetics, considered in relation to the psychosis continuum hypothesis), cognitive models, and neurophysiological findings concerning hallucinations in children and adolescents. Key issues that have interfered with progress are considered and recommendations for future studies are provided.
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 15
- Course of auditory vocal hallucinations in childhood: 11‐year follow‐up study Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica March 24, 2016
- A Model for the Application of Target-Controlled Intravenous Infusion for a Prolonged Immersive DMT Psychedelic Experience. Frontiers in Pharmacology 2016
- Rethinking Social Cognition in Light of Psychosis: Reciprocal Implications for Cognition and Psychopathology Clinical Psychological Science February 10, 2017
- Meditation-Relaxation (MR Therapy) for Sleep Paralysis: A Pilot Study in Patients With Narcolepsy. Frontiers in Neurology 2020
- Hearing voices and other altered perceptual experiences across psychotic, mood, and anxiety disorders: from phenomenology and mechanisms to future directions. Schizophrenia September 29, 2025
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Cites 7
- Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry 2003
- The Neurodynamic Organization of Modality-Dependent Hallucinations Cerebral Cortex April 24, 2012
- Prevalence and correlates of auditory vocal hallucinations in middle childhood The British Journal of Psychiatry December 31, 2009
- Psychotic symptoms in narcolepsy: phenomenology and a comparison with schizophrenia. General Hospital Psychiatry 2009
- Imaginary companions and young children's responses to ambiguous auditory stimuli: implications for typical and atypical development. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry November 1, 2007
and 2 more in the library