Hallucinations

Research papers on hallucinations may focus on a number of areas of study in which hallucinating occurs. Paper Masters will custom write any research project you need on hallucinations or other psychological disorders.

The manifestation of hallucinations has been reported in the psychiatric literature-as related to schizophrenia and other mental health issues-and in the religious literature-as related to visions and portents. Although hallucinations in reported in the context of mental health are viewed as a health issue that must be addressed, those reported in the religious literature appear to be more "acceptable." Given the notable differences in attitudes that are expressed with respect to hallucinations in the following areas:

• Hallucinations in mental health
• Hallucinations in religion

It is the central hypothesis that the hallucinations experienced in a mental health context are different than those experienced in a religious context. In order to prove this hypothesis you may want to review of what has been noted about individuals experiencing hallucinations in both contexts will be conducted.

In order to begin your investigation, it is first helpful to consider how hallucinations have been conceptualized in the context of mental health. One of our writers, in her examination of the prevalence of auditory hallucinations in a group of psychiatric nurses, contends that these types of hallucinations are most commonly associated with individuals suffering from mental illness, most commonly schizophrenia. Although this Paper Masters writer asserts that this is the norm, she reports that there is a high prevalence of auditory hallucinations in psychiatric nurses that have not bee previously diagnosed with schizophrenia. Thus, Millham argues that it is possible that auditory hallucinations can occur outside of the context of mental illness.

Other scholars have also argued that auditory hallucinations can occur outside of the context of schizophrenia. For instance, our writers report on adolescent reports of auditory hallucinations. Even though these types of hallucinations often occur in the context of psychosis the research Paper Masters has done reveals that the adolescents interviewed in our investigation did not exhibit other signs of psychosis. Despite a lack of psychotic symptoms, our authors note the teens did exhibit high levels of stress as a direct result of family dysfunction. For this reason, While auditory hallucinations may not be directly linked to psychosis in all cases, there are specific mental health issues that can preclude the onset of these hallucinations.

The experience of visual hallucinations and delusions outside of schizophrenia and psychosis has also been considered in the case of adults that have experienced psychical and sexual abuse as children. Read (2003) reports that schizophrenia and psychosis are often reported in adults that have a history of child abuse. In some instances however, adults with a past history of child abuse and no history of mental illness can experience visual hallucinations and delusions. This hypothesis is confirmed through Read's research, which suggests that some individuals can develop hallucinations and delusions outside of the context of a schizophrenia or psychosis. Read concludes by arguing that schizophrenia may be a progressive disorder that begins with hallucinations and/or delusions.

Scott (1997) in her investigation of "inner spiritual voices" contends that these voices are not auditory hallucinations. Specifically, this author reports that many individuals often note the presence of inner spiritual voices in their daily existence. In most instances, the individuals making these claims have no prior history of mental illness and do not exhibit behaviors that would be considered abnormal or unusual. With this in mind, Scott asserts that individuals can experience inner spiritual voices without having any presence of mental illness. Scott further contends that the term "auditory hallucinations" should be dropped in favor of inner spiritual voices.

In the absence of clear mental illness, understanding hallucinations remains a notable challenge. Based on the data presented here, it seems reasonable to argue that there is a gray area in which hallucinations can occur outside of the context of mental illness. In this gray area, the specific explication that is given for the presence of hallucinations is dependent on the theoretical orientation of the researcher.