A history of auditory hallucination traces the medical community's understanding and treatment of the phenomenon throughout the ages while drawing on literary, psychological, and anthropological perspectives in order to shed light on how patients have managed and even found inspiration from related disorders. Reprint.

Zusatztext "Articulate! engaging! and deeply researched." -Dr. Jerome Groopman! The Boston Globe "Fascinating." -Peter D. Kramer! The New York Times Book Review "An eloquent writer." - San Francisco Chronicle Informationen zum Autor Daniel B. Smith is a New Yorkbased journalist and author. His work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, Granta , and n+1 . Klappentext Smith presents the strange history of auditory hallucination and reevaluates the popular conception of the phenomenon today and through the ages. He reveals the roots of the medical understanding and treatment of it along with its relationship to the nature of pure faith. Zusammenfassung An inquiry into hearing voices-one of humanity's most profound phenomena Auditory hallucination is one of the most awe-inspiring! terrifying! and ill- understood tricks of which the human psyche is capable. In the age of modern medical science! we have relegated this experience to nothing more than a biological glitch. Yet as Daniel B. Smith puts forth in Muses! Madmen! and Prophets ! some of the greatest thinkers! leaders! and prophets in history heard! listened to! and had dialogues with voices inside their heads. In a fascinating quest for understanding! Smith examines the history of this powerful phenomenon! and delivers a ringing defense of the validity of unusual human experiences.

"Articulate, engaging, and deeply researched."
-Dr. Jerome Groopman, The Boston Globe

"Fascinating."
-Peter D. Kramer, The New York Times Book Review

"An eloquent writer."
-San Francisco Chronicle

Autorentext

Daniel B. Smith is a New York–based journalist and author. His work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, Granta, and n+1.

Klappentext

Smith presents the strange history of auditory hallucination and reevaluates the popular conception of the phenomenon today and through the ages. He reveals the roots of the medical understanding and treatment of it along with its relationship to the nature of pure faith.

Zusammenfassung
An inquiry into hearing voices-one of humanity's most profound phenomena

Auditory hallucination is one of the most awe-inspiring, terrifying, and ill- understood tricks of which the human psyche is capable. In the age of modern medical science, we have relegated this experience to nothing more than a biological glitch. Yet as Daniel B. Smith puts forth in Muses, Madmen, and Prophets, some of the greatest thinkers, leaders, and prophets in history heard, listened to, and had dialogues with voices inside their heads. In a fascinating quest for understanding, Smith examines the history of this powerful phenomenon, and delivers a ringing defense of the validity of unusual human experiences.