The auditory hallucination: a phenomenological survey.
T H Nayani, A S David
Psychological Medicine January 1996 DOI: 10.1017/s003329170003381x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Psychotic patients who had experienced auditory hallucinations |
| Key findings | The authors report that auditory-verbal hallucinations grow more complex over time through a process of "accretion," with more voices, extended dialogues, and greater intimacy between subject and voice. This evolution seemed to relate to lessening distress and improved coping. They argue these findings should inform neurological and cognitive accounts of how auditory hallucinations arise in psychotic disorders. |
Abstract
A comprehensive semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 100 psychotic patients who had experienced auditory hallucinations. The aim was to extend the phenomenology of the hallucination into areas of both form and content and also to guide future theoretical development. All subjects heard 'voices' talking to or about them. The location of the voice, its characteristics and the nature of address were described. Precipitants and alleviating factors plus the effect of the hallucinations on the sufferer were identified. Other hallucinatory experiences, thought insertion and insight were examined for their inter-relationships. A pattern emerged of increasing complexity of the auditory-verbal hallucination over time by a process of accretion, with the addition of more voices and extended dialogues, and more intimacy between subject and voice. Such evolution seemed to relate to the lessening of distress and improved coping. These findings should inform both neurological and cognitive accounts of the pathogenesis of auditory hallucinations in psychotic disorders.
Citations in the library
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