Lived Experience Forum

[Zam]

Nothing is wrong, I just thought I would first make that clear before I go on. I just didn't didn't know where else to write this and thought this might be the spot but If not I apologise ....

i was wondering if anyone has heard for of people sharing hallucinations before? 

I will explain it a bit better. About two years back I started dating a girl I met in the hospital that I was forced into. Anyway we instantly hit it off, she was diagnosed with depression and psychotic episodes.

she got out a few weeks before me, but when I got out I practically lived with her for about 3 weeks. 

She ended up going off meds and shortly after had a episode where she was seeing a man in her kitchen. Of cause when she woke me up screaming there was a shadow type man in the kitchen, I instantly got anxious as it was obvious she was hallucinating. But during her panic and me panicking about her safety, I ended up seeing a shadow type thing in her kitchen. So after everything calmed down I started to wonder if it's possible to share hallucinations.

another example is when I read two books about other people's biographies on schizophrenia ("the quiet room" and "Henry's demons") I ended up experiencing some things they wrote about including tv static, trees with faces and so on..

I have asked doctors and psychiatrists about it and they have never answered it. So has anyone else ever heard of such a thing?

[Wolfchild]

It is possible that what you are experiencing is transference.

Those who suffer gravitate towards one another.  They then form sub-groups by type of suffering.  PTSD patients can pick each other out of a crowd.  Schizophrenics whilst all individuals, do have base similar traits to the condition.  Alcoholics will seek each other out before the second shout.

Even falling in love (or perhaps especially falling in love) with someone is a process of determining whether their emotional and mental DNA is compatible with yours.

When we do connect - a special rarity in itself - it is frightening in its intensity, heart stopping in its highs and lows.  There is not more bipolar emotion than love and no individual more bipolar than one with a mental illness whatever the label or diagnosis.

It is not unusual to 'feel someone else's pain' or to understand deep, deep in your gut what they are going through if you have suffered similar pain yourself.  This can apply to anyone from a girlfriend through to the guy that drives your morning bus.  Everything is connected and everything stands apart.  Like an art gallery full of priceless paintings, it is the flaws that makes them a masterpiece and the only thing that changes is the level and intensity of light.

It is no surprise then, that if someone we know / care about / love has a bad emotional experience, we can quite unconsciously, transfer some or all of that experience to within ourselves.  This can be especially so when you are yourself vulnerable at the time.

One thing all diagnosis have in common is a deeply hidden need to connect.  That connection sometimes comes in the form of transference.  

Perhaps that is what happened to you.

Take care my friend.  

[Zam]

@Wolfchild wow, very helpful answer. Thank you

[Wolfchild]

You're welcome.  

[Appleblossom]

I have often thought about these types of things and love the question and the response.

I believe that the need to connect is common to all humans not just the ones with a diagnosis, but often they are the more sensitive and imaginative souls.

When we care about a person often we try extra hard to understand them and see things as they do.

The bonding into subgroups happens all the time regarding interests, sports, politics as well as all types of disabilities.  Sometimes like accretes with like as in birds of a feather flock together and sometimes opposites attract. Polarities do operate in the social world.

There can be collective narcissism and delusions.  There is also the famous psychoanalytic text Mass Psychology of Fac ism by Reich. Not all group think is bad ... it is also how we form bonds.

Transference is the the attachment formed in a therapeutic urelationship which often mirrors the client's early attachment issues.

There are so many subtle ways we communicate when we are close.

When feelings are intense or the light is dim ... it is easy to imagine things are there ... like camping as kids and being scared etc ...

Good Luck to you both ...