Comparing the characteristics of hallucinations and mental imagery: a large cross-sectional study in the general population

IF 2.5 3区心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL

Consciousness and Cognition Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-05 DOI:10.1016/j.concog.2025.103974

Guillaume Pepin , Hélène Lœvenbruck , Alan Chauvin , Camille Jacquet , Jean-Baptiste Eichenlaub , Catherine Bortolon

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Hallucinations (HAs), the perceptual experiences that occur without external stimuli, are classically associated with psychiatric disorders, but also occur in the general population. Involuntary mental imagery (IMI), the spontaneous occurrence of visual or auditory mental content, shares several features with HAs. The continuum hypothesis suggests that these phenomena exist on a spectrum ranging from benign to clinically significant experiences. However, the precise boundaries of these phenomena remain under-explored. This pre-registered cross-sectional study focusing on the experiential continuum, involved 1,951 French-speaking adults who completed an online questionnaire assessing the frequency and characteristics of their HAs and IMI experiences. These experiences could include hearing music or voices, or seeing shadows. Participants rated ten phenomenologically-informed dimensions, including vividness, emotional valence, controllability, distress, agency, and perceived location. Associations were tested using Spearman correlations and Wilcoxon tests with Bonferroni correction. IMIs were significantly more frequent than HAs and were rated as more vivid, emotionally positive, and self-generated. In contrast, HAs were associated with greater distress and external attribution. Moderate to strong correlations between HAs and IMIs on most dimensions support the hypothesis of a shared experiential continuum. However, the fact that confidence and agency cannot be fully separated from controllability raises questions about cognitive models of self-monitoring and metacognition. These findings provide empirical evidence for both convergence and divergence in the phenomenological profiles of HAs and IMIs. Refining these distinctions could enhance theoretical models of hallucinatory experiences and facilitate the early identification and prevention of distressing internal phenomena in individuals at risk.

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比较幻觉和心理意象的特征：一项针对普通人群的大型横断面研究

幻觉（HAs）是在没有外界刺激的情况下发生的感知体验，通常与精神疾病有关，但也发生在普通人群中。无意识心理意象（IMI），即视觉或听觉心理内容的自发发生，与HAs有几个共同特征。连续统假说表明，这些现象存在于从良性到临床显著经验的范围内。然而，这些现象的确切界限仍未得到充分探索。这项预先登记的横断面研究关注于经验连续体，涉及1951名讲法语的成年人，他们完成了一份在线问卷，评估他们的HAs和IMI经历的频率和特征。这些体验可能包括听到音乐或声音，或者看到阴影。参与者对十个现象学信息维度打分，包括生动度、情绪效价、可控性、痛苦、代理和感知位置。采用Spearman相关和Wilcoxon检验，并进行Bonferroni校正。imi明显比HAs更频繁，被评为更生动、情绪积极和自我产生。相反，HAs与更大的痛苦和外部归因有关。卫生指标和综合管理指数在大多数方面之间的中等至强烈的相关性支持了共同经验连续体的假设。然而，信心和能动性不能与可控性完全分离，这一事实引发了对自我监控和元认知的认知模型的质疑。这些发现提供了实证证据，证明了高等教育指数和综合管理指数在现象学上的趋同和分化。细化这些区别可以增强幻觉体验的理论模型，并有助于早期识别和预防处于危险中的个体的痛苦内部现象。

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来源期刊

Consciousness and Cognition PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL-

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

8.30%

发文量

123

期刊介绍： Consciousness and Cognition: An International Journal provides a forum for a natural-science approach to the issues of consciousness, voluntary control, and self. The journal features empirical research (in the form of regular articles and short reports) and theoretical articles. Integrative theoretical and critical literature reviews, and tutorial reviews are also published. The journal aims to be both scientifically rigorous and open to novel contributions.