Hallucinations and illusions; a study of the fallacies of perception by Edmund Parish







Contents of the book:

CHAPTER I Introduction I Definition — Universal Fallacies of Perception — Due to Ambiguity of the Stimuli — Arising out of Defects or Pathological States of the Organism — The '' Feeling of Unity " conditioned by "Eccentric Projection" — Psychological Conception of False Perception — Criticism of the Definition that Hallucination is Ideation equalling Sensation in Vividness — Hallucination is Sensory Perception,CHAPTER II. Fallacious Perception in various Pathological and the Physiological States i Esquirol's distinction between Hallucination and Illusion —Fallacies of Perception in the Insane: In Amentia, Dementia, Melancholia, Mania, Folie Circtilaire, Delusional Insanity and Paranoia, General Paralysis — The share of the several Senses in these Delusions, and their effect on the Patient — In Psychoneuroses: Epilepsy, Hysteria — In Ecstasy — In States of Intoxication: Alcohol, Chloroform, Ether, Haschisch, Santonin, Cinchona, Opium, Nitrous Oxide Gas — Specific The action of Narcotics and Personal Reaction — In acute Somatic Diseases — In Dreams — In Hypnosis — Crystal Visions — Dissociation of Consciousness the Common Characteristic of all these States.CHAPTER III. Waking Hallucinations and the Result of the International Census ... 77 Early Accounts — The International Census — General Results — Sex, Age, Nationality, and State of Health of the Percipients—Their so-called "Waking" State really one of Dissociation— Indications of this in the Narratives— Why such Indications are sometimes wanting— Hallucinations classified according to the Sense affected — The less startling Hallucinations are soon forgotten. The Physiological Process in Fallacious Perception no Early Attempts at Explanation — The Centrifugal Psychic Theories — Objections — The Centrifugal Sensorial Theories — The Conception underlying all Centrifugal Theories— Arguments against this Conception— Centripetal Theories — Identity of the Sensory and Ideational Centres — Theories of Pelman and Kandinsky — False Perception a Phenomenon conditioned by disturbed Association — Meynert — James — Explanation suggested by the Author— Its Advantages— Schematic Presentation of the Physiological Process in False Perception — Various Objections met.CHAPTER V. The Factors of Fallacious Perception ... 152 The dissociated State — Definition — Pathological and Physiological Causes — Varieties of Dissociation — Action of Dissociation — The Stimuli — Post-mortem Reports — Excitation of the various Senses — Cramer's Theory. The Content of Fallacious Perception ... 185 The Content dependent (1) on Memory and Experience— (2) On the Conditions which induce the Hallucinated State — (3) On the Temperament and Mental Environment of the Individual — (4) On the Brain-state which obtains at the Moment (Exhaustion, Concentration, Emotions, Subconscious Processes)— (5) On the Sensory Stimuli. — Explanation of some Facts generally misinterpreted — (1) Certain phenomena usually cited in support of retinal participation— (2) Negative Hallucinations — The Phenomena and Nature of Rapport — Negative Hallucinations not explained by the diversion of attention — Their true Nature.CHAPTER VII. The Initiation of Fallacious Perception ... : The Problem: How are Reflex Hallucinations to be accounted for? — (1) Synesthesia, (2) Hallucinations of Memory, as possible explanations — Author's attempt to explain them by distinguishing between the preparatory and the starting Factor — A New Conception of the Point de Reply.CHAPTER VIII. The Manifestations of Fallacious Perception 236 Various Degrees of Distinctness in Sensory Phantasms — Percipient's Attitude— Sensory Character of the Phenomena not disproved by a certain feeling of Subjectivity — Attempts to explain "Audible Thinking"— Automatic Articulation- Spontaneous Cases — Experimental Evidence.CHAPTER IX. Telepathic Hallucinations 272 Results of the International Census — Various sources of error: (1) Hallucinations of Memory, (2) Reading back of details after the event, (3) Exaggeration of the Coincidence — Comparison between Coincidental and Non-Coincidental "Waking" Hallucinations misleading — Indications of Dissociation in the Death-Coincidences of the Report — Association of Ideas not to be ignored — Other proofs of Telepathy Criticized — Alleged special characteristics of "Telepathic" Hallucinations.CHAPTER X. Summary and Conclusion ... ... ... ... 321 Recapitulation of Argument — All Hallucinations conditioned by Dissociation — Objection to Physiological Explanations from the standpoint of Psychology — Criticism of Psychological Position — The Physiological Scheme provisional — Bearings of this Study on. Theories of Perception generally.Appendix 343Hallucinations and Illusions,1897Updated