Lamenting loss - the science of hallucinations during bereavement

[Leigha]

I found this article really interesting. The mind is powerful, and can do bizarre things under duress. Sorrow and loss are painful feelings...for some, these hallucinations may bring comfort and closure when dealing with unbearable grief. (I'd imagine for others, bereavement hallucinations would be terrifying.)


https://athensscienceobserver.com/2021/0...ting-loss/

Hallucinations exist in non-clinical populations and can be a side effect of grief or bereavement. Hallucinations come in many forms: visual, auditory, tactile, or a feeling of presence. Many people associate hallucinations with schizophrenia and psychosis; however, this is not always the case. It is estimated that  between 5 and 28% of the general population has had an auditory hallucination in their lifetime. Hallucinations are linked to imbalances in neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin.

[C C]

Coincidentally, it wasn't long after I read this (yesterday) that hubby -- in the course his ultra-slow binge watching of the 3rd season of that old SyFy comedy "Eureka" -- just happened to have the fifth episode titled "Show Me The Mummy" playing in the background.

The one where Allison starts experiencing what she initially believes are hallucinations of her recently deceased ex-husband Nathan (as one of the sub-plots).

Hardly the only time that's ever happened in a show -- like Dexter Morgan in "Dexter" being advised by his dead stepdad, or the two brothers in "Six Feet Under" routinely having discussions with a dead father and the latest funeral home corpses, etc. 

But it had been many weeks or months since the last time I'd seen that trope, especially pertaining to those (now) rare occasions when it's regarded with concern or alarm by the "observer" rather than matter-of-fact.

I can always rely on trivial, non-causally correlated events themselves to ironically cause a brief brain/body reaction of oddment wherein they should otherwise have passed by as ineffectual as usual.

[Zinjanthropos]

Can people experience hallucinations if the opposite occurred? Instead of under duress they are overjoyed, like the feeling of being liberated or free might give someone.

[Leigha]

How about when they happen ''en masse?'' 

The hallucinations of Pont-Saint-Esprit

[Zinjanthropos]

I was thinking along the lines of the ‘miracle’ experience or people who truly believe they’ve been cured by faith healer or prayer. Would just believing either one of those two be classified as a hallucination sans actual images?

[Leigha]

I don’t think believing in miracles whether from prayer or just as part of someone’s faith/spiritual beliefs are the same as hallucinations. Seeing ghosts or experiencing what seem to be physical “manifestations” tend to have scientific /medical explanations, whether it’s due to sleep deprivation, lucid dreaming, or drugs that have hallucinogenic effects.

The article posted in the OP touches on there being an imbalance with dopamine and serotonin levels - so if those levels are too high perhaps, I guess someone could be “happy” and hallucinate. Or maybe that would be considered manic. Hmm, it’s a good question, Z.

[C C]

This seems to be grazing or venturing into this territory, too [EDIT - Since placebo and nocebo effects might seem like miracles to some]:

An alt theory of consciousness could hold clues about placebos & nocebos
https://www.scivillage.com/thread-10932-...l#pid45912

Though as far the panpsychism stuff goes, it seems to once again be conflating cognition (identification, understanding) with the actual issue of the hard problem: manifestation (which isn't "mind" in any kind of intelligence related context).

[Zinjanthropos]

This seems to be grazing or venturing into this territory, too:

An alt theory of consciousness could hold clues about placebos & nocebos
https://www.scivillage.com/thread-10932-...l#pid45912

Though as far the panpsychism stuff goes, it seems to once again be conflating cognition (identification, understanding) with the actual issue of the hard problem: manifestation (which isn't "mind" in any kind of intelligence related context).

The internet must be one of the best sources of nocebos. Look up a symptom you're experiencing and its hard not to believe you have whatever problem you thought it might be. Had cancer twice, just let the doctors figure it out and stayed away from the internet. 

As for this thread I thought it was ultimately heading towards belief, which might be the most likely thing to be denied as a form of hallucination....idk.

[C C]

The internet must be one of the best sources of nocebos. Look up a symptom you're experiencing and its hard not to believe you have whatever problem you thought it might be. Had cancer twice, just let the doctors figure it out and stayed away from the internet. 

As for this thread I thought it was ultimately heading towards belief, which might be the most likely thing to be denied as a form of hallucination....idk.

Anil Seth introduced the now popular meme that consciousness -- or all perceptions and sensations -- are controlled hallucinations. Though indirect realism has been around forever, it was arguably not quite framed that way before.

I'm forced to believe that Australia exists (as a reliable resident of exteroceptive experience -- the coherent "hallucination"), because I've never visited it to personally confirm it. But my reasons for that belief seem vastly more justified than belief in the world being flat.

[Leigha]

So, our brains basically ''construct'' a reality for us to perceive? Hmm, where does objective reality factor in ...or doesn’t it? lol