By probing into the changes in the relation of their relative strength from a new dimension that external objective stimulations and internal false stimulations can affect perception together, a theoretical framework of hallucinations is constructed and a scientific interpretation of the supernatural phenomena is made: When internal stimulation is almost equal to external stimulation, the mixture of the two kinds of stimulation causes two conflicting experiences in perception simultaneously, and therefore leads to paradoxical and deranged apperceiving, resulting in out-of-body experiences and synesthesia; when internal stimulation is far stronger than external stimulation, ESP happens as a result of internal false stimulation being mistaken as external objective stimulation which enters through various senses and external objective stimulation being mistaken as perception which does not result from various senses.
to be continued…
After that, a new filtering hypothesis is presented to explain the more sensitive awareness and its potential value is explored. On such basis, a unified analytical framework will be made based on the empirical documents, so as to reveal the essence of ASC: The reduction of self-awareness results in three mechanisms (the more sensitive awareness, hallucinations and jhna samdhi) and the relation of them is figured out. Finally, this paper also reveals the essence of the Buddhist deep insight and the mystery of cessation and insight.
to be continued…
I know English isn't your first language, but coming on a nonspecialist discussion forum and speaking in jargon isn't a good way to grab people's interest. I may take a look at this later if I find time and inclination, but it would stimulate discussion here if you would actually start a discussion. Provide a synopsis of your work and make a statement about your conclusions.Thank you very much for your kind suggestion! I tried to put more information here, but it seems the forum screen my content. I will try again later. The forum spam filter is overly aggressive. Nothing the admins can do about that. Try a new post. I find that sometimes typing another sentence on a separate paragraph at the bottom of the post will get past the filter. I have done it. Thank you very much!
By definition in modern psychology, hallucinations are perceptions that occur in the absence of external objective stimulation, namely, perceptions by internal false stimulation. According to this definition, perceptions can occur in two ways. One is that external objective stimulation affects perception through sensation, while the other is that internal false stimulation directly affects perception. For perception, the two ways lead to the same effects. But what happens when external and internal stimulations affect perception together in hallucinations?
to be continued…
Thank you for posting this. That’s a lot to digest. I’ll come back later with comments and questions.
Here are some new ideas based on our previous theoretical framework of hallucinations. We call them “six states of perception".
In accordance with our previous analysis, by definition in modern psychology, hallucinations are perceptions that occur in the absence of external objective stimulation, namely, perceptions by internal false stimulation. According to this definition, perceptions can occur in two ways. One is that external objective stimulation affects perception through sensation, while the other is that internal false stimulation directly affects perception. For perception, the two ways lead to the same effects.
1. The normal waking state of consciousness
Only external objective stimulation.
2. Elementary hallucinations
External objective stimulation >> internal false stimulation.
3. Paradoxical hallucinations
External objective stimulation ≈ internal false stimulation.
The mixture of the two kinds of stimulation causes two conflicting experiences in perception simultaneously, and therefore leads to paradoxical and deranged apperceiving, resulting in out-of-body experiences and synesthesia.
4. Complete hallucinations
External objective stimulation << internal false stimulation.
ESP happens because there are two pathways to affect perception and the essence of ESP is that internal false stimulation is mistaken as external objective stimulation which happens through various senses and that external objective stimulation as perception which does not result from various senses.
5. Dreaming
Only internal false stimulation.
Dreams are not often treated as hallucinations. But according to the definition of hallucinations, that is, “perceptions that occur in the absence of external objective stimulation", we holds that dreams, in nature, are a kind of hallucinations. Unlike common hallucinations whose cause is the reduction of self-awareness, the cause of the hallucinations in dreams is sensory deprivation. When sleeping, the sensations of the five senses shut down and the external stimulation to perception, which is far lower than that in the sensory deprivation experiment (especially the sense of touch), almost vanishes. Therefore, within a very short time, imaginary scenes can appear. It is because sensation shuts down in dreams that perception is affected only by internal false stimulation.
6. Dreamless sleep
No external objective stimulation, no internal false stimulation either.
No stimulation affects perception at all.
About Jhna Samdhi
It is still unknown to the generation mechanism of jhna samdhi. But according to the experiential descriptions of plenty of people who have such experiences, thinking activities halt due to the obliteration of self-awareness in jhna samdhi. At the same time, perception shuts down to activate a new mode of apperceiving, one totally different from the usual five-sense mode of perception. One feels that he and the universe assimilate each other and everything in daily life, even himself, disappears. Such experiences are so-called mystical experiences. At this moment, both consciousness and the unconscious disappear, which we call a state of super-consciousness and super-perception.
The interesting thing to me is that when you talk with a true believer in the paranormal, they always assume that they would be able to tell the difference between a hallucination and “real” perception. I once listened to someone describe a situation in which she heard an invisible person walking through the room. When I casually wondered if it could have been an hypnogogic hallucination, she indignantly replied, “I was NOT dreaming!”
Thank you wengehuang, for that interesting analysis.
I have a question in regard to the mind’s ability to create hallucinations in the first place.
I have read some about the brain’s “mirror neural system”, or the brain’s ability to represent external stimuli into coherent mental images.
However, this system can be fooled into false representations, such as in experiencing “optical illusions”. http://brainden.com/images/rotating-dots.gif
Is there a possible connection between “hallucination” and the function of the brain’s “mirror neural system”?
Thank you wengehuang, for that interesting analysis. I have a question in regard to the mind's ability to create hallucinations in the first place. I have read some about the brain's "mirror neural system", or the brain's ability to represent external stimuli into coherent mental images. However, this system can be fooled into false representations, such as in experiencing "optical illusions". http://brainden.com/images/rotating-dots.gif Is there a possible connection between "hallucination" and the function of the brain's "mirror neural system"?Write4U, I don't think that there is any connection between the mechanism of creating hallucinations and the function of the brain's "mirror neural system". Illusions are not hallucinations. The mechanism of creating hallucinations is still unknown, what I study and discuss here is on another level.
wengehuang said, The mechanism of creating hallucinations is still unknown, what I study and discuss here is on another level.If it is still unknown, I would suggest to look "deeper" into the mirror neural system. It is what allows us to experience our (and even other's) realities, but also is causal to our dreams.
New update:
This paper attempts to make a whole new interpretation of Altered States of Consciousness (ASC) induced by meditation, mind-altering drugs, hypnosis, or physiological lesion. On the basis of empirical materials, we summarizes four essential phenomena (hallucinations, paranormal phenomena, the more sensitive awareness and mystical experiences) in ASC after an initial clarification. However, the existence of paranormal phenomena, especially extrasensory perception (ESP), has been disputed for more than one century. Therefore, we firstly propose a novel hypothesis that ESP happens because there are two pathways to affect perception and the essence of ESP is that internal false stimulations are mistaken as external objective stimulations which enter through various senses and external objective stimulations as perceptions which do not result from various senses. To support this hypothesis, we develop an original model of hallucinations: When internal false stimulations and external objective stimulations affect perception together, the changes in the relation of their strength will result in the consistence, breakdown and re-consistence of the five senses, leading to three states of hallucinations (one can distinguish reality from fantasy, one cannot distinguish reality from fantasy, and reality and fantasy are totally reversed). This model can also explain the generation mechanism of out-of-body experiences, synesthesia and many other marvelous psychedelic phenomena in ASC. After that, we probe into the more sensitive awareness, and define jhna samdhi in an explicit way. On such basis, a unified analytical framework will be made to reveal the essence of ASC: The reduction of self-awareness results in three mechanisms (the more sensitive awareness, hallucinations and jhna samdhi) and the relation of them is figured out. Finally, this paper also reveals the essence of the Buddhist deep insight and the mystery of cessation and insight.
wengehuang said, To support this hypothesis, we develop an original model of hallucinations: When internal false stimulations and external objective stimulations affect perception together, the changes in the relation of their strength will result in the consistence, breakdown and re-consistence of the five senses, leading to three states of hallucinations (one can distinguish reality from fantasy, one cannot distinguish reality from fantasy, and reality and fantasy are totally reversed).I would suggest a fourth mode of hallucination or "best guess" which the mind is capable of: The "controlled hallucination", where objective external stimulation produces an objective internal "best guess" stimulation, when prior knowledge and experience are able to mentally confirm the existence of the objective external stimulation. Obviously you are seriously engaged in this type of research and may have heard the name Anil Seth, in relation to the subject. According to Anil Seth, we hallucinate all the time, but when we experience the exact same hallucination, we call it reality. The following presentation may be of interest to your research; https://www.ted.com/talks/anil_seth_how_your_brain_hallucinates_your_conscious_reality/up-next