Schizophrenia Bulletin Advance Access published online on August 28, 2009
Schizophrenia Bulletin, doi:10.1093/schbul/sbp086
© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.
How a Series of Hallucinations Tells a Symbolic Story
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Hallucinations as Symbolic Stories |
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Hallucinations can combine to form a symbolic storyline of personal and seemingly universal meaning. Hallucinations occurring over time on the same themes often build in a manner which seems to indicate a reality hidden behind the reality that most people know. This is especially true after the person in psychosis has experienced hallucinations over a period of months or years and a delusional framework based on these experiences has taken hold in the mind of the individual.
As the process of schizophrenia unfolds, hallucinations gradually increase in severity and duration. At first, hallucinations are often small or momentary and can be as small as the appearance of eyes or a whisper of a voice. Hallucinations often blend seamlessly with normal reality, especially during the early stages of psychosis. After psychosis has fully taken hold, hallucinations may sometimes become much more distinct and have the quality of visions like those found
Example of a Hallucinatory Story
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Placing Hallucinations in Personal Context |
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Implications for Postpsychotic Counseling |
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