When the Truth Is Out There: Counseling People Who Report Anomalous Experiences

In this paper, we propose a clinical approach to the counseling of distressing subjective paranormal experiences, usually referred to as anomalous or exceptional experiences in the academic field. These experiences are reported by a large part of the population, yet most mental health practitioners have not received a specific training in listening constructively to these experiences. This seems all the more problematic since nearly one person in two find it difficult to integrate such experiences, which can be associated with different forms of psychological suffering. After having described briefly several clinical approaches already developed in this area, we outline the main aspects of clinical practice with people reporting exceptional experiences, in particular the characteristics of the clinician’s attitude toward the narrative of unusual events. We then present the core components of a Psychodynamic Psychotherapy focused on Anomalous Experiences (PPAE) based on three main steps: phenomenological exploration, subjective inscription and subjective integration of the anomalous experience. Such an approach, based on a non-judgmental and open listening, favors the transformation of the ontological shock that often follows the anomalous experiences into a potential source of integration and psychological transformation.

Introducing the Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition (JAEX)

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The clinical significance of anomalous experience in the explanation of monothematic delusions

Monothematic delusions involve a single theme, and often occur in the absence of a more general delusional belief system. They are cognitively atypical insofar as they are said to be held in the absence of evidence, are resistant to correction, and have bizarre contents. Empiricism about delusions has it that anomalous experience is causally implicated in their formation, whilst rationalism has it that delusions result from top down malfunctions from which anomalous experiences can follow. Within empiricism, two approaches to the nature of the abnormality/abnormalities involved have been touted by philosophers and psychologists. One-factor approaches have it that monothematic delusions are a normal response to anomalous experiences whilst two-factor approaches seek to identify a clinically abnormal pattern of reasoning in addition to anomalous experience to explain the resultant delusion. In this paper we defend a one-factor approach. We begin by making clear what we mean by atypical, abnormal, and factor. We then identify the phenomenon of interest (monothematic delusion) and overview one and two-factor empiricism about its formation. We critically evaluate the cases for various second factors, and find them all wanting. In light of this we turn to our one-factor account, identifying two ways in which ‘normal response’ may be understood, and how this bears on the discussion of one-factor theories up until this point. We then conjecture that what is at stake is a certain view about the epistemic responsibility of subjects with delusions, and the role of experience, in the context of familiar psychodynamic features. After responding to two objections, we conclude that the onus is on two-factor theorists to show that the one-factor account is inadequate. Until then, the one-factor account ought to be understood as the default position for explaining monothematic delusion formation and retention. We don’t rule out the possibility that, for particular subjects with delusions there may be a second factor at work causally implicated in their delusory beliefs but, until the case for the inadequacy of the single factor is made, the second factor is redundant and fails to pick out the minimum necessary for a monothematic delusion to be present.

TRUST, LEARNING AND ANOMALOUS EXPERIENCE OF JAPAN AND SLOVAK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Trust is an important element of the learning processes and overall academic achievement of university students. It represents the highly sensitive domain of the intrapsychic life of each student. The paper states the original premise that trust or distrust respectively can be specifically related to anomalous psychical experience. As some paranormal experiences can be evoked by physical or chemical stimuli such as electric pulse to the brain and mental drags, for example, DMT (N, N-dimethyltryptamine), paranormal experiences are based on people’s physiological system chiefly, not only psychological factors such as belief. In this view, trust can be considered as one of the most important impulses as well as a consequence of the perceived anomalous experience of the student. But trust as one of the crucial sub-elements of higher education is not related to paranormal phenomena. Trying to face this challenge, the paper has the ambition to enrich the scientific basis of higher education through performing research supported by relevant hypotheses and an empirical survey. Based on the analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, induction and deduction of theory, completed by results of the quantitative survey, the aim of the paper is to search and confirm potential relations between the trust and unusual psychic experience of higher education students. Targeted experiences are specifically examined in two geographically different countries: Japan as a representative of specific Asian countries, and Slovakia as a representative of specific (Slavic) Central Europe countries. For the paper, two hypotheses are formulated: H1: Paranormal experiences have not relevant influence on the student distrust; H2: There exist only small differences between Japan and Slovak respondents’ expressions in the field. The survey, participated by 405 Japan and 443 Slovak university students, confirms that the most frequent experience in both countries is déjà vu (76.79% of Japan and 87.84% of Slovak respondents). Applied Chi-Square Test and Product-Moment Correlation reveal that the searched forms of paranormal experiences do not call-up the negative form of trust, i.e. distrust. Also, only unimportant differences in perceived anomalousness exist between university students of chosen two countries. In this way, both hypotheses are considered to be confirmed. From the perspective of recommendations, assistance and belonging, providing anonymous psychological consulting, applying motivational educational methods and techniques can encouragingly act on student trust and learning.

Developing a dynamic model of anomalous experiences and function in young people with or without psychosis: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study protocol

IntroductionAnomalous experiences are common within the general population, but the frequency and intensity is increased in young people with psychosis. Studies have demonstrated that perceptual biases towards noticing these phenomena plays a role, but the way one thinks about one’s experience (metacognition) may also be relevant. While poor metacognitive function has been theoretically associated with anomalous experiences, this relationship is currently unclear. However, metacognition may work along a continuum with various metacognitive levels, many of which have been demonstrated as impaired in psychosis. These metacognitive components may interact via processes that maintain poor metacognition across levels, and that potentially impact both what people do in their everyday lives (functional outcome) and how people feel about their everyday lives (subjective recovery outcome) in young people with psychosis compared with healthy control participants.Methods and analysisThis study will investigate the association and contribution of metacognition to anomalous experiences and outcome measures cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a 36-month follow-up. First, young people with psychosis will be compared with healthy control participants on selected measures of anomalous experience, metacognition, and function, using analysis of covariance to identify group differences. Next, the relationship between metacognitive components and processes will be explored, including processes connecting the different components, using regression analyses. Finally, mediation analyses will be used to assess the predictive value of metacognitive measures on outcome measures, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally at 36 months, while controlling for symptoms and cognition.Ethics and disseminationEthical and Health Research Authority approval has been obtained through Camberwell St. Giles Research Ethics Committee (reference number: 17/LO/0055). This research project will be reported within a PhD thesis and submitted for journal publication. Once key predictive components of poor outcome in psychosis are identified, this study will develop a series of dynamic models to understand influences on outcome for young people with psychosis.

Thought Insertion Clarified

This chapter begins by considering the possibility that a number of factors contribute to the sense of being in an intentional state, and that these can come into conflict. The remainder of the chapter argues that thought insertion (TI) and certain kinds of auditory verbal hallucination (AVH) are to be understood in this way. There is a difference between experiencing a process of thinking as alien and experiencing thought content as alien. It is argued that TI involves the latter. Hence it could just as well be described as experiencing one’s own thought contents in a strange, perception-like way. To further support this interpretation, the chapter considers AVHs and shows that a substantial proportion of experiences that are described in AVH terms can equally be conveyed in terms of TI. What we have is an anomalous experience that lies somewhere between thinking and perceiving. The content of the experience continues to resemble that of a thought. Even so, a sense of perceiving predominates. The chapter concludes by arguing that it is unhelpful to conceive of AVH / TI in terms of a distinction between agency and subjectivity or ownership.