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Léon Marillier and the veridical hallucination in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century French psychology and psychopathology.


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Authors

Le Maléfan, Pascal 
Sommer, Andreas 

Abstract

Recent research on the professionalization of psychology at the end of the nineteenth century shows how objects of knowledge which appear illegitimate to us today shaped the institutionalization of disciplines. The veridical or telepathic hallucination was one of these objects, constituting a field both of division and exchange between nascent psychology and disciplines known as 'psychic sciences' in France, and 'psychical research' in the Anglo-American context. In France, Leon Marillier (1862-1901) was the main protagonist in discussions concerning the concept of the veridical hallucination, which gave rise to criticisms by mental specialists and psychopathologists. After all, not only were these hallucinations supposed to occur in healthy subjects, but they also failed to correspond to the Esquirolian definition of hallucinations through being corroborated by their representation of external, objective events.

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Keywords

France, Léon Marillier, métapsychique, psychical research, psychology, veridical hallucination, Biomedical Research, Congresses as Topic, France, Germany, Hallucinations, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century, Humans, Psychology

Journal Title

Hist Psychiatry

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0957-154X
1740-2360

Volume Title

26

Publisher

SAGE Publications
Sponsorship
Andreas Sommer’s contribution to this article was made possible through support by the Perrott-Warrick Fund, Trinity College, University of Cambridge, and Cedar Creek Institute, Charlottesville, VA.