Depression as a Disorder of Consciousness
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science August 16, 2021 Cecily M. K. Whiteley 19 citations
People with major depression often describe a profound shift in their conscious experience, feeling as if they have entered a 'different world' detached from reality and others. This paper proposes that depression involves a departure from ordinary wakeful consciousness into a distinctive global state of consciousness similar to dreaming or the psychedelic state. The hypothesis is developed using research in consciousness science and has implications for understanding the neurobiology of depression and for psychedelic psychiatry. The account offers a conceptually well-motivated framework that can guide empirical investigation.