Imagination and Its Disorders in Mental State Examination.
Florestan Delcourt, Lars Siersbæk Nilsson, Andreas Rosén Rasmussen
Psychiatric Clinics of North America July 23, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.psc.2026.01.007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Eafi Imagination Maladaptive daydreaming Mental imagery Obsession Psychopathology Subjective anomalies |
| Key findings | Argues that imagination, while part of ordinary psychic life, also appears in distorted forms as an aspect of key psychopathological concepts, and that examining anomalous imagination in the schizophrenia spectrum, obsessive symptoms, and maladaptive daydreaming may have differential diagnostic and perhaps therapeutic value. |
Abstract
Imagination is part of ordinary psychic life, but, in somewhat distorted forms, also an aspect of different key psychopathological concepts and hence of immediate clinical importance. In this review, we present principal findings from clinical psychopathological research examining basic disturbances of imagination in the schizophrenia spectrum, obsessive symptoms, and related phenomena in other mental disorders, including the suggested DSM-6 category of maladaptive daydreaming. We highlight methodological considerations in clinical work and suggest that an in-depth examination of anomalous imagination is of significant differential diagnostic and perhaps also therapeutic value.
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
Cites 9
- Phenomenology as a resource for translational research in mental health: methodological trends, challenges and new directions. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences January 16, 2023
- Anomalies of Imagination and Disordered Self in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. Psychopathology 2015
- Imagination and Self Disorders in Schizophrenia: A Review. Psychopathology 2020
- Anomalies of imagination and development of psychosis: A phenomenological account. Schizophrenia Research February 1, 2024
- Maladaptive daydreaming should be included as a dissociative disorder in psychiatric manuals: position paper The British Journal of Psychiatry March 17, 2025
and 4 more in the library