Abstract
Background: Tactile and somatic hallucinations are distressing phenomena that have hardly been researched. The few studies that have been published focus on their occurrence in neurodegenerative disorders and substance use, and, surprisingly, not on schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Objective: To fill this gap in our knowledge, we sought to explore the phenomenological characteristics of tactile and somatic hallucinations in a group of psychotic Muslim patients. Since many Muslims attribute such experiences to jinn (invisible spirits) and jinn are often perceived in multiple sensory modalities, we not only charted the involvement of the tactile and somatic modalities but also their interrelatedness with hallucinations in other sensory modalities.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using a semi-structured interview and dedicated questionnaire.Results: Of the 42 Muslim inpatients mostly diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, 62% reported to suffer from tactile and/or somatic hallucinations. Their phenomenological characteristics varied, with 96% being multimodal in nature and 38% taking the form of full-blown entity/jinn encounters. In comparison to other entity experiences, the involvement of the tactile and somatic modalities was exceptionally high, as was the level of ensuing distress. Regarding the order of recruitment of the various sensory modalities, we suggest the involvement of an underlying stochastic process.Conclusion: Muslim patients with severe psychosis can have tactile and somatic hallucinations, of which a large number are multimodal or full-blown entity/jinn encounters, which are almost invariably appreciated as harrowing. On the basis of our findings we make recommendations for further research and clinical practice.
Highlights
Tactile and somatic hallucinations are classified as bodily hallucinations [1, 2], i.e., hallucinations of the “proximity senses” (Table 1), as opposed to hallucinations of smell, sight and hearing, which have bearing on the “distance senses.”
The present study examines tactile and somatic hallucinations in a rather specific population, namely in Muslim patients diagnosed with a psychotic disorder who are liable to attribute their hallucinations to jinn, i.e., invisible beings created by Allah
Since it is unknown to what extent the tactile and somatic modalities are involved in such instances, and since these hallucinations have hardly been researched in people diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders or in patients with a Muslim background, below we describe their phenomenological characteristics and assess their relevance for clinical practice and further scientific research
Summary
Tactile and somatic hallucinations are classified as bodily hallucinations [1, 2], i.e., hallucinations of the “proximity senses” (Table 1), as opposed to hallucinations of smell, sight and hearing, which have bearing on the “distance senses.” These phenomena have been overly neglected in literature and research, while both modalities are clinically relevant. Tactile and somatic hallucinations are classified as bodily hallucinations [1, 2], i.e., hallucinations of the “proximity senses” (Table 1), as opposed to hallucinations of smell, sight and hearing, which have bearing on the “distance senses.”. These phenomena have been overly neglected in literature and research, while both modalities are clinically relevant. As one of the main senses, is Tactile and Somatic Hallucinations Sensory modality. Tactile and somatic hallucinations are distressing phenomena that have hardly been researched. The few studies that have been published focus on their occurrence in neurodegenerative disorders and substance use, and, surprisingly, not on schizophrenia spectrum disorders
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