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Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by a range of symptoms that significantly impact cognition, behavior, and emotional regulation. Among these, the positive symptoms stand out as they involve the addition or exaggeration of normal mental functions, deviating markedly from typical behavior and perception. Hallucinations and delusions are prominent positive symptoms, each profoundly affecting the individual's experience of reality.
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Do delusions have and give meaning?

Rosa Ritunnano1, Lisa Bortolotti2

  • 1Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK.

Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences
|August 29, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Delusions, often seen as meaningless, can actually be meaningful and enhance life

Keywords:
Cognitive psychologyCreativityDelusionsMeaningMeaningfulnessPhenomenologySense of coherence

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Area of Science:

  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Psychopathology

Background:

  • Delusions are commonly perceived as incomprehensible and meaningless.
  • Existing literature often overlooks the potential meaning inherent in delusional beliefs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between delusions and meaning.
  • To explore how delusions can be meaningful and enhance a sense of life meaning.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical analysis.
  • Integration of cognitive psychology and phenomenological psychopathology literature.
  • Review of empirical and philosophical research on delusions and meaning.

Main Results:

  • Delusions are not inherently meaningless; they can be understood as meaningful interpretations of experiences.
  • Some delusions can temporarily enhance an individual's sense of agency and creativity.
  • Delusions can serve to make sense of unusual subjective experiences.

Conclusions:

  • Delusions possess meaning and can contribute to a person's sense of purpose.
  • Recognizing the meaning in delusions can improve understanding of psychotic symptoms.
  • This perspective may help reduce the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions.