Do we need a new word to supplement "hallucination"?
Abstract
The word "hallucination" was used originally (and with etymological correctness) to refer to the unshared sensory experiences of persons who are mentally ill. However, many persons who are not mentally ill also have unshared sensory experiences. A few of these convey information paranormally, but the longstanding association of "hallucination" with mental illness inhibits many persons who have such experiences from reporting them so that they can be studied. The author suggests a new word, "idiophany," to designate all unshared sensory experiences. The word "hallucination" could then be restricted, as it originally was, to the unshared sensory experiences of the mentally ill.
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