Title: Scientists Discover Link between Touch and Phantom Voices Hallucinations
Date: October 20, 2023
Scientists in Switzerland have made a groundbreaking discovery that may shed new light on hallucinations involving phantom voices. These hallucinations, commonly experienced by healthy individuals, can now be induced by manipulating the senses of touch and hearing.
According to recent psychiatric surveys conducted in Norway, approximately 5-10% of healthy individuals hallucinate in some form. Seeking to understand the reasons behind these hallucinations, a team of scientists conducted a series of experiments to explore the correlation between touch and auditory hallucinations.
The study involved 48 healthy volunteers who were subjected to a finger-like robotic system. The participants would push a button to stimulate the movement of the robotic ‘finger,’ which would then tap them on the back. Typically, there were no delays between each button push and the poke. However, when there was a delay, participants reported feeling a presence and hearing voices.
The findings revealed that participants were more likely to experience ‘vocal false alarms’ when unexpected pokes were administered on their backs. The more unexpected pokes they received, the higher the chances of reporting hallucinated voices.
It is not uncommon for individuals to have hallucinations involving various senses such as hearing, vision, touch, taste, or smell. These experiences, part of our sixth sense known as proprioception, contribute to our body’s awareness. Dr. Orepic, one of the researchers, explained that hallucinations occur along a continuum and all individuals may experience it to some extent, particularly when tired or under certain conditions.
During the study, participants were also asked to identify human voices within a background noise called ‘pink noise,’ which mimics the sound of heartbeats or wind blowing. The researchers discovered that participants were more likely to hallucinate voices during subsequent voice recordings if they had previously experienced a strange feeling or presence.
Interestingly, some participants claimed to have heard voices even when there were no delays or no voices present. The researchers suggest that this may be due to an internal feeling if the participants were unconsciously controlling the robotic system and mistook their own voice for external ones.
The study concludes that hallucinations may be more common when individuals struggle to understand their body’s awareness or proprioception. It further suggests that previous experiences stored in the memory pocket of the brain could impact the sixth sense in future environments.
This breakthrough investigation not only provides new insights into the nature of voice and touch hallucinations but also reminds us that these experiences are more prevalent than we might think. So, the next time you feel a presence behind you or hear unusual tunes while enjoying nature, remember that you are not alone in experiencing these fascinating phenomena.
In the future, this research could pave the way for a better understanding of hallucinations and potentially lead to new treatments or interventions for individuals who struggle with such experiences.