Abstract

The term pseudohallucination was originally introduced to characterize hallucinatory phenomena not exhibiting the paradigmatic features of hallucinations. In our context, and directly following Jaspers' description, the term has been used to characterize a specific type of auditory hallucination in schizophrenic patients i.e. the so-called voices. However, this formation is not shared in other contexts. This paper suggests that Jaspers' formulation is inexact and problematic when trying to describe the semiology, philosophical foundations, and aetiology of the phenomenon. In addition, we claim that this lack of etiological and nosological clarity lead to serious doubts about the real utility of the use of the term within current descriptive psychopathology. We conclude by proposing two potential alternatives that the use of the term might have within the field.