Hallucinations and Phenomenal Consciousness
The Oxford Handbook of Phenomenological Psychopathology July 4, 2019 Aaron Mishara, Yuliya Zaytseva 4 citations
Hallucinations in schizophrenia may be understood as part of self-disturbances, arising from non-conscious low-level sensory anomalies and a disrupted perception-action cycle, rather than solely from problems of phenomenal consciousness. Historical phenomenological analyses by the Early Heidelberg School (1909–1932), particularly Mayer-Gross, who studied hypnagogic experiences, mescaline-induced model psychoses, and detailed accounts from people with schizophrenia, shaped this view. Debates with contemporaries led to the conclusion that hallucinations in schizophrenia relate to shifts in the organization of consciousness, later influencing Schneider's First Rank Symptoms. The chapter assesses how these early contributions inform current phenomenological understanding of hallucinations.