Is Shame Hallucinogenic?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) research has focused on cognitive factors.
• The role of emotion, particularly shame, in AVH etiology is under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate a hypothesis that shame is a causal factor in the onset of AVH.
• To explore potential mediating mechanisms and evolutionary underpinnings of the shame-AVH relationship.

Main Methods:

• Review of historical and contemporary case studies of AVH.
• Examination of shame's role in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and AVH.
• Analysis of Compassion Focused Therapy's impact on AVH.

Main Results:

• Case studies suggest a link between shame and AVH onset.
• Shame is implicated in PTSD, a condition with AVH prevalence.
• Therapies targeting shame show potential effects on AVH.

Conclusions:

• Existing evidence supports the hypothesis that shame can causally contribute to AVH.
• Proposed mechanisms include rumination, suppression, and dissociation in response to shame.
• The hypothesis warrants empirical investigation for understanding and treating AVH.