Hallucinations and related perceptual disturbance in a non-clinical Spanish population

Background: Several studies have suggested the continuity of psychotic symptoms between the general population and clinical samples, and have shown that, in fact, the predisposition to hallucinations is a multi-dimensional construct. However, there is no agreement concerning the number of factors comprising it or the significance of psychotic-like experiences. An examination of the beliefs associated with these experiences could increase knowledge of the continuity of hallucinations. Aims: The purpose of this work was to analyze the structure of the Revized Hallucination Scale (RHS), applied to a sample of Spanish university students to find out the meaning for the participants and their associated beliefs on each item. Methods: The RHS was administered to a total of 265 participants. Along with the frequency of each experience, participants were asked to provide an example of each situation described and to what they attributed it. Results: The results emphasized the presence of four factors that are variously made up of six types of beliefs: personal difficulties; psychological explanations; dreamlike experiences; vivid thoughts; perceptive distortions; and personal desires. Conclusions: The relevance of these results with regard to the differences that might exist in hallucinations in clinical and normal populations is discussed.