Sense of Reality

‘The sense of reality’ is a term with a long history, having featured in the psychological and psychiatric literature since the 19th century. Ordinary, veridical perceptions are said to have a ‘sense of reality’. Hallucinations, we are often told, have it too – that is what sets hallucinations apart from imagery and daydreaming. Perhaps the sense of reality is not even restricted to perceptual experiences but may occur, for instance, in ‘felt presence’ experiences, where one feels that someone is there, though without ever being perceived. At the same time, many believe that veridical perception can lack the sense of reality, as in experiences of derealization, for example. But what is this sense of reality supposed to be in the first place? And, depending on how it is defined, are the typical assumptions about its presence and absence true? Finally, what implications do the answers to these questions have for our understanding of perception, mental disorders, and perhaps the mind more generally? These are some of the questions that will be explored in this interdisciplinary workshop that brings together philosophers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and anthropologists.

Speakers

  • Ben Alderson-Day
  • Jason Day
  • Jérôme Dokic
  • Mads Gram Henriksen
  • Tanya Luhrmann
  • Kasper Møller Nielsen
  • Julie Nordgaard
  • Laura Oppi
  • Søren Overgaard
  • Umrao Sethi
  • Ariel Swyer