Everyday 'Unusual' Experiences

Everyone has powerful experiences from time to time, and there are many very ordinary reasons why people have experiences that are considered ‘unusual’. Common and powerful experiences include déjà vu, hearing voices, delirium, the effects of grief or sleep deprivation, synaesthesia, and trauma memories. 

People’s reactions to these occurrences can vary greatly; even the same experience can be interpreted in very different ways depending on its context. For example, the intense consciousness-altering effects of hallucinogens are welcomed by those who take them recreationally, but would very frightening to those who didn’t understand why they were having these experiences. Among those who hear voices or have strong traumatic memories it is often the case that the experiences are appraised in a negative light.

• Hearing voices. Not everyone who hears voices is distressed by the experience. Some variation in how people react is driven by the content of the voices –

This is a Psychology Tools information handout. Suggested uses include:

• Client handout – use as a psychoeducation resource.
• Discussion point – use to provoke a discussion and explore client beliefs.
• Therapist learning tool – improve your familiarity with a psychological construct.
• Teaching resource – use as a learning tool during training.

• Asher, J. E., & Carmichael, D. A. (2013). The genetics and inheritance of synesthesia. The Oxford handbook of synesthesia, 23-45.
• Beavan, V., Read, J., & Cartwright, C. (2011). The prevalence of voice-hearers in the general population: a literature review. Journal of Mental Health, 20(3), 281-292.
• Brown, A. S. (2003). A review of the déjà vu experience. Psychological Bulletin, 129(3), 394–413.
• Cruse Bereavement Support. (2021, September 26). Seeing, hearing or sensing someone who has died. https://www.
  cruse.org.uk/understanding-grief/effects-of-grief/seeing-hearing-or-sensing-someone-who-has-died/
• Neufeld, J., Roy, M., Zapf, A., Sinke, C., Emrich, H. M., Prox-Vagedes, V., ... & Zedler, M. (2013). Is synesthesia more
  common in patients with Asperger syndrome. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 7, 847.
• Schubert, M., Schürch, R., Boettger, S., Nuñez, D. G., Schwarz, U., Bettex, D., ... & Rudiger, A. (2018). A hospital- wide evaluation of delirium prevalence and outcomes in acute care patients-a cohort study. BMC health services research, 18(1),