ABSTRACT
This commentary addresses the phenomenon of hallucination as a primary and constitutive aspect of psychic reality. Some medical models depict dreams and hallucinations as meaningless byproducts of physical processes. A common clinical view of hallucination is that it is the unfortunate result of a wounded self, and the need to hallucinate will diminish when injury to self is addressed. The author draws on Eigen and others to underline the presence of hallucination in both the sane and insane. Eigen focuses on the meaning, function, and purpose of an individual’s psychosis, important aspects that are often overlooked in therapy. Hallucinations involve concerns of self–other, inner–outer, real–unreal, meaning–meaninglessness, and mind–body. The commentary includes two initial clinical examples of Eigen’s work with psychotic patients, depicting his slow and careful approach to the content and dynamics of each person’s psychotic material. According to Eigen, working with distortions between and within the foundational presences of our being holds potential for transformational journeys.
