General Introduction

Hallucinations are fascinating phenomena. The mere possibility of perceiving things that are not there is the stuff that campfire tales are made of. It is one thing to be in a dream state, to be asleep, and to conjure up people, scenes, and landscapes that do not actually exist. But it is quite another to hallucinate: to be wide awake and yet hear that ethereal music, see those costumed figures strolling by, smell the roses that used to grow in your grandfather's garden, feel his hand upon your shoulder, sense his presence somewhere near-and to be the only one able to experience all that. How strange, how fascinating, and how absolutely mind-boggling that would be. And how frightening perhaps, since not all hallucinations involve a walk in the park with loved ones. As clinical psychiatrists, we have come in contact with a great many people who are plagued by voices and visions which compete for priority with what we call reality. The voices have completely shaken up my life, as Steven Scholtus-a long-time voice hearer and field expert at the Voices Clinic in Utrecht-writes in this book. A normal way of living, with a full-time job, a family, the raising of children, is no longer within my reach.