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Do we need a new word to supplement "hallucination"?
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|December 1, 1983
Summary
The term "hallucination" should be reserved for mentally ill individuals. A new term, "idiophany," is proposed for all unshared sensory experiences, encouraging broader reporting and study.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- The term "hallucination" is traditionally associated with mental illness.
- Many individuals without mental illness report unshared sensory experiences.
- The stigma of "hallucination" discourages reporting of these experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a new term for all unshared sensory experiences.
- To differentiate between mentally ill and non-mentally ill experiences.
- To encourage the study of paranormal experiences.
Main Methods:
- Linguistic and etymological analysis of the term "hallucination".
- Conceptual analysis of unshared sensory experiences.
- Proposal of a new term: "idiophany".
Main Results:
- "Hallucination" etymologically refers to experiences of the mentally ill.
- Unshared sensory experiences occur in both mentally ill and non-mentally ill populations.
- A new term, "idiophany," is suggested for all unshared sensory experiences.
Conclusions:
- Restricting "hallucination" to mentally ill individuals aligns with its original meaning.
- "Idiophany" offers a neutral term for all unshared sensory experiences.
- Adopting "idiophany" may facilitate research into diverse sensory experiences, including paranormal phenomena.
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