Neither saintly nor psychotic: a narrative systematic review of the evolving Western perception of voice hearing.
Fiche publication
Date publication
février 2024
Journal
History of psychiatry
Auteurs
Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Dr ESSADEK Aziz
Tous les auteurs :
Evrard R, Beauvais B, Essadek A, Lighezzolo-Alnot J, Clesse C
Lien Pubmed
Résumé
We present a social-historical perspective on the evolution of the voice-hearing phenomenon in Western society. Based upon a systematic search from a selection of nine databases, we trace the way hearing voices has been understood throughout the ages. Originally, hearing voices was considered a gifted talent for accessing the divine, but the progressive influence of monotheistic religion gradually condemned the practice to social marginalization. Later, the medical and psychiatric professions of secular society were instrumental in attaching stigma to both voice hearers and the phenomenon itself, thereby reinforcing social exclusion. More recently, the re-integration of voice hearers into the community by health authorities in various countries appears to have provided a new, socially acceptable setting for the phenomenon.
Mots clés
Auditory hallucinations, historical approach, history of psychiatry, psychiatrization, stigmatization, voice hearing
Référence
Hist Psychiatry. 2024 02 29;:957154X241231690