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Hallucinations Audiobook
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Hallucinations don’t belong wholly to the insane. Much more commonly, they are linked to sensory deprivation, intoxication, illness, or injury. Here Dr. Sacks weaves together stories of his patients and of his own mind-altering experiences to illuminate what hallucinations tell us about the organization and structure of our brains, how they have influenced every culture’s folklore and art, and why the potential for hallucination is present in us all. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material: American Academy of Neurology: Excerpt from “Anton’s Syndrome Accompanying Withdrawal Hallucinosis in a Blind Alcoholic” by Barbara E. Swartz and John C. M. Brust from Neurology 34 (1984). Reprinted by permission of the American Academy of Neurology as administered by Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research. American Psychiatric Publishing: Excerpt from “Weir Mitchell’s Visual Hallucinations as a Grief Reaction” by Jerome S. Schneck, M.D., from American Journal of Psychiatry (1989). © 1989 by American Journal of Psychiatry. Reprinted by permission of American Psychiatric Publishing a division of American Psychiatric Association. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.: Excerpt from “Heautoscopy, Epilepsy and Suicide” by P. Brugger, R. Agosti, M. Regard, H. G. Wieser and T. Landis from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, July 1, 1994. Reprinted by permission of BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. as administered by the Copyright Clearance Center. Cambridge University Press: Excerpts from Disturbances of the Mind by Douwe Draaisma, translated by Barbara Fasting. © 2006 by Douwe Draaisma. Reprinted by permission of Cambridge University Press. Canadian Psychological Association: Excerpt from “Effects of Decreased Variation of the Sensory Environment” by W. H. Bexton, W. Heron and T. H. Scott from Canadian Psychology (1954). © 1954 by Canadian Psychological Association. Excerpt from “Perceptual Changes after Prolonged Sensory Isolation (Darkness and Silence)” by John P. Zubek, Dolores Pushkar, Wilma Sansom and J. Gowing from Canadian Psychology (1961). © 1961 by Canadian Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission of Canadian Psychological Association. Elsevier Limited: Excerpt from “Migraine: From Cappadocia to Queen Square” in Background to Migraine, edited by Robert Smith (London: William Heinemann, 1967). Reprinted by permission of Elsevier Limited. The New York Times: Excerpts from “Lifting, Lights, and Little People” by Siri Hustvedt from The New York Times Blog, February 17, 2008. Reprinted by permission of The New York Times as administered by PARS International Corp. Oxford University Press: Excerpt from “Dostoiewski’s Epilepsy” by T. Alajouanine from Brain, June 1, 1963. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press as administered by Copyright Clearance Center. Royal College of Psychiatrists: Excerpt from “Sudden Religious Conversion in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy” by Kenneth Dewhurst and A. W. Beard from British Journal of Psychiatry 117 (1970). Reprinted by permission of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Scientific American: Excerpt from “Abducted!” by Michael Shermer from Scientifi c American 292 (2005). © 2005 by Scientifi c American, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Scientific American. Vintage Books: Excerpts from Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov, © 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1967, copyright renewed 1994 by the Estate of Vladimir Nabokov. Used by permission of Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
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"I really enjoyed this book; so much fascinating information that I may have to give it a second read to absorb all of it. I liked that Sacks focused on the irregularities of the nervous/sensory systems that could cause hallucinations for reasons other than mental illness, which seems to be the cause that people most hear about. He also included many detailed footnotes and references, as well as anecdotes and case studies which lent a vivid richness to descriptions. All in all, a really interesting and wonderful read, with great re-read value."
— Gabrielle (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Sacks’ science writing is always revelatory, and there are moments in Hallucinations when seeing things can feel downright life-affirming.”
— Time -
“Wondrous.”
— Elle -
“Fascinating…Writing with his trademark mix of evocative description, probing curiosity, and warm empathy, Sacks once again draws back the curtain on the mind’s improbable workings.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Another gem of a book…With a fine sense of narrative, Sacks deftly integrates literature, art, and medical history around his very human, often riveting, case histories. This book is recommended for all readers, not just those with symptoms! This is a model of humane science made compellingly readable.”
— Library Journal (starred review)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
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An Amazon Best Book of the Month for November 2012
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A Washington Post bestseller
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A Los Angeles Times bestseller
Hallucinations Listener Reviews
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Michael, 9/6/2021
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" Fascinating, though perhaps not as good as Musicophilia and certainly not a stunner like The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Hallucination (the phenomenon, not the book) comes out as being remarkably everyday. On the other hand, apparently I'm weird because I can imagine smells. "
— Noah, 2/19/2014 -
" Very interesting. It did err on textbook compared to the likes of The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat, but I forgive that for the insight it has given me; as an occasional sufferer of sleep paralysis, fairly frequent emotional flashbacks and having had Jesus hold my hands for days as I prepared to leave my rather sadistic ex. Glad I read it. "
— Kate, 2/6/2014 -
" Has some great moments. But, it's overshadowed by too much of one patient told me this, another patient told me that. It starts to feel like a slog. "
— Randy, 2/6/2014 -
" Hugely interesting subject, and for non fiction it's readable. "
— Jeroen, 1/31/2014 -
" I thought this was a fascinating book. No one wants to admit to having hallucinations for fear of being thought insane. The number of ways the brain can delude itself are amazing. "
— Kittylittle, 1/21/2014 -
" Vintage Oliver Sacks, full of fascinating details and charmingly written, but I got kind of tired of it as I went along. A keeper but not a favorite. "
— Clara, 1/16/2014 -
" Sacks' books are always interesting, but in sort of a rubbernecking way. And there are so many references to stories he's told in other books that it sometimes seems like a racket. "You'll get the REAL RESULTS if you buy the entire product line!" But it does give you some insight to the variety of human experience and the ways that experience is shaped by our brains. "
— Danny, 1/15/2014 -
" I learned so many new words reading this book. Also, I really enjoyed Sacks' personal stories that were embedded in each chapter. He is one cool cat, man. He's now on my Dead or Alive Dinner Party guest list for sure! "
— Morgan, 1/14/2014 -
" Fascinating. Completely Fascinating "
— Mike, 12/15/2013 -
" The great thing about Sacks as a writer is thst he takes fascinating subjects and keeps it fascinating. And he explains it all in an understandable way, even if you are not familiar with neurology. "
— Mineola, 12/5/2013 -
" Eloquently written and fascinating as usual. On a personal note I found the tales of Sacks own foray into drugs off putting, probably an indication of my own prudish tendencies. "
— Claire, 12/2/2013 -
" Another fascinating work by Oliver Sacks. At times, this was a bit creepy in its discussion of the variety and type of hallucinations that people can experience. It was interesting and informative and very accessible. I think it would appeal to a wide variety of readers. "
— Ms.P, 11/27/2013 -
" Not as engrossing as the in-depth case studies in some of his earlier books, though it was thought provoking. I will be especially aware of my "hypnagogic" and "hypnopompic" states after reading this!;) "
— Margaret, 10/8/2013 -
" Not as good as his other books... there were too many descriptions of hallucinatoins, I thought, and not enough clinical analysis. "
— Verena, 9/15/2013 -
" I had expected Sacks to be a more sprightly writer. This was basically a series of tedious case reports. Some were intriguing, but it was all rather repetitious. "
— Bobbie, 8/9/2013 -
" All interesting and edifying; guess I was more interested in what folks from the 19th century had to say about hallucinations than in Sack's present-day case studies. "
— Kit, 6/18/2013 -
" "The Man who mistook his wife for a Hat " is one of my all time favourites, so I was looking forward to a new Sacks. I was terribly disappointed, there is nothing new here, and it is written in a dry style with not enough case histories. "
— Sarah, 5/25/2013 -
" Interesting. Not as good as his previous work, but quite good. "
— Ariadna73, 5/23/2013 -
" I like Saks, but this just felt a bit too long after awhile to me. "
— Rob, 5/18/2013 -
" This book is a series of anecdotes, many of them from the author's own experience. The pace was a slow plod. "
— J.l., 2/12/2013 -
" Perversely enjoyable and probably a good thing to read lest you wake up with a hallucination and not know what it is. "
— Chris, 12/8/2012
About Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks (1933–2015) was the author of more than a dozen books, including The Mind’s Eye, Musicophilia, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and Awakenings, which inspired both the Oscar-nominated film and a play by Harold Pinter. The New York Times has referred to him as “the poet laureate of medicine,” and he was a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books. He lived in New York City, where he was professor of neurology at the NYU School of Medicine for many years.
About Oliver Sacks
Dan Woren is an American voice actor and Earphones Award–winning narrator. He has worked extensively in animation, video games, and feature films. He is best known for his many roles in anime productions such as Bleach and as the voice of Sub-Zero in the video game Mortal Kombat.