ArticlePhenomenology and the cognitive sciences2022
Do delusions have and give meaning?
Article in Phenomenology and the cognitive sciences, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 57 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mapping Psychosocial Interventions for Psychosis and Schizophrenia Across Gulf Countries: A Scoping and Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- A review and integration of models on delusion maintenance.Psychological medicine · 2026Review
- Schizophrenic Consciousness in the Light of the Phenomenological Epoché: A Foundational Map for Psychiatry.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Article
- Islands of Inference: A Neurodevelopmental Architecture for Fixed Delusions.Psychopathology · 2026Review
- Neurobiological illness models of schizophrenia and stigma reduction: has that ship sailed?Schizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2025Review
- The Design Rationale and Preliminary Evaluation of a Prototype Designed by People With Lived Experience of Psychosis and Professionals: Design Research Study.Journal of participatory medicine · 2025Article
- Revisiting delusions to demystify human agency: A response to critics.Philosophy and the mind sciences · 2024Article
- Psychotic Arousal and the Psychopathology of Acute Schizophrenia: An Exploratory Study of the Experiential Emotional State in Acute Psychosis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Double bookkeeping in schizophrenia spectrum disorder: an empirical-phenomenological study.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2024Article
- Pseudoneurotic Symptoms in the Schizophrenia Spectrum: A Longitudinal Study of Their Relation to Psychopathology and Clinical Outcomes.Schizophrenia bulletin · 2024Article
- Sensed Presence, Attenuated Psychosis, and Transliminality: At the Threshold of Consciousness.Psychopathology · 2023Article
- Phenomenology yesterday, today, and tomorrow: a proposed phenomenological response to the double challenges of contemporary recovery-oriented person-centered mental health care.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- The lived experience of psychosis: a bottom-up review co-written by experts by experience and academics.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2022Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Delusions are often portrayed as paradigmatic instances of incomprehensibility and meaninglessness. Here we investigate the relationship between delusions and meaning from a philosophical perspective, integrating arguments and evidence from cognitive psychology and phenomenological psychopathology. We review some of the empirical and philosophical literature relevant to two claims about delusions and meaning: (1) delusions are meaningful, despite being described as irrational and implausible beliefs; (2) some delusions can also enhance the sense that one's life is meaningful, supporting agency and creativity in some circumstances. Delusions are not incomprehensible representations of reality. Rather, they can help make sense of one's unusual experiences and in some circumstances even support one's endeavours, albeit temporarily and imperfectly. Acknowledging that delusions have meaning and can also give meaning to people's lives has implications for our understanding of psychotic symptoms and for addressing the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.