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Hearing voices: A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach
Philip Thomas1, Patrick Bracken, Ivan Leudar
1Centre for Citizenship and Community Mental Health, School of Health Studies, University of Bradford, UK. p.thomas@bradford.ac.uk
Cognitive Neuropsychiatry
|March 31, 2006
Summary
Phenomenology, particularly embodied experience, offers a new way to understand voice-hearing experiences. This approach counters reductionism and dualism, validating the meaning of these subjective phenomena for individuals and clinicians.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Mind
- Psychiatry
- Phenomenology
Background:
- The term "phenomenology" has diverse meanings across philosophy and psychiatry.
- Dominant epistemological (Cartesian) views of experience often overlook embodied aspects.
- Reductionist (biological, social) and dualistic (mind-body) perspectives limit understanding of subjective experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To contrast epistemological and ontological phenomenology.
- To explore Merleau-Ponty's theory of embodiment as an alternative framework.
- To demonstrate phenomenology's utility in understanding voice-hearing experiences.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical analysis contrasting ontological and epistemological approaches.
- Examination of Merleau-Ponty's theory of embodiment.
- Application of embodied phenomenology to a case study of bereavement hallucinations.
Main Results:
- Ontological phenomenology, focusing on embodiment, offers a richer understanding of subjective experiences.
- Embodiment counters reductionism and dualism, promoting a holistic view of human experience.
- This approach validates the intrinsic meaning of voice-hearing experiences.
Conclusions:
- Embodied phenomenology provides a valuable hermeneutic framework for understanding voice-hearing.
- It legitimizes the subjective meaning of these experiences for individuals.
- Phenomenology can serve as a crucial clinical tool for professionals working with voice-hearers.
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