Hallucinations

By: Oliver Sacks

Narrated by: Dan Woren, Oliver Sacks

Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2012 Oliver Sacks (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Fascinating…Dr. Sacks’s compassion for his patients and philosophical outlook transform what might have been clinical case studies into humanely written short stories that illuminate the complexities of the human brain and the mysteries of the human mind." (Michiko Kakutani, New York Times Top Ten of the Year)

“Oliver Sacks is my hero, so any book he publishes is a book of the year for me…His book explores not only his own experiences but a wide variety of conditions that can cause patients to see things that aren't there, and his writing is characterized by a mix of close-focus scientific scrutiny and broad human sympathy.” (Hilary Mantel, Wall Street Journal Favorites of 2012)

Not his best

I have always enjoyed Oliver Sacks' books of clinical tales, but this one is not his best. The focus is on non-psychotic hallucinations and the chapters often contain multiple case examples that continue long after the reader has gotten the message.

Good book, a bit repetitive

The narrator tried to emulate a variety of foreign accents with limited success. I decided to be amused by this rather than annoyed. French, Indian, and other accents all tended toward Mandy Patinkin's Inigo Montoya from "The Princess Bride."

I will definitely read this again

What a fascinating story! I have had auditory hallucinations for most of my life, but I had no idea they could have anything to do with a seizure disorder. I started reading this on a whim, because it sounded interesting, but there was actually information in it, that I brought up to my neurologist, who confirmed that it probably had to do with the frontal lobe seizures I have been having. Who knew?? Anyways, if you’re a nerd like me, and you like reading about the brain, definitely don’t skip this one!

Annoying voice

The stories are awesome. However, the narrator whistles his S's which was extremely distracting for me. Sorry if my observation ruins it for anyone else.

Good Book

This book explained a lot. Nicely narrated and very listenable. I wish I knew some of these things as my parents were ageing and becoming quite puzzling.

Sacks is excellent as always

Would you consider the audio edition of Hallucinations to be better than the print version?

Absolutely not. Get the print version to avoid having to hear the performer.

What other book might you compare Hallucinations to and why?

This title is very similar to other books by Sacks. Lots of interesting topics and patient stories.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

In all ways I can imagine. He tries to "do" various characters and he fails miserably.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is a book I wanted to stop listening to and read instead.

Any additional comments?

Excellent book - get it in print.

great insight

needed a while to get used to the "role playing", imitating the voices of the characters in the book.

Illuminating wrriting + Lotsss of sibilenssse

Oliver Sacks is brilliant, as is this book - but the narrator sounds like Dan Rather - before speech therapy. The whistling S's are so uncomortable that I cannot continue listening! Or maybe my desire to read it will eclipse my profound discomfort whilst listening. I did read the reviews that warned of this excesssive sssibillancccce, but I had the hubris to think it wouldn't bother *me.* it doessssss.

Wide ranging and quite relevant to many fields

(posted on GoodReads)
That was a very rich book. it's is nominally "hallucinations", but it's range is extensive.
The author, Oliver Sacks, is a knowledgeable neurologist and neurosurgeon passed away not too long ago, but his experience was intense. I learned that he experimented with hallucinogenic and other drugs when he was younger, and he used his experiences and knowledge of the brain and human reactions to inform himself and the scientific community of pluses and minuses of all types. I respect the fact that he realized that his one and only experience with opioids was enough for him, and he consciously decided not to do that again!
Explorations of near-death experiences and out of body experiences and how they relate to the brain and reality are great. And the comparison with God and God-like experiences are convincing and satisfying, perhaps more so for non-God believers – like me – than for, say, fundamentalists. Relating all kinds of things with hallucinations as opposed to "spirits" or "extrasensory" experiences is encouraging and paints a picture of reality as opposed to magic. I really liked this book!
I have read part of _The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat_, and I now feel that I need to go back and reread the entire thing. He's humorous but serious, and he emphasizes the amazing things that the mind can do. Excellent author!

A Must read

This book is fantastic and a must real for anyone with any type of hallucinations, or externally vivid or odd dreams. If you have experienced some sort of supernatural or unexplainable sight, this book may give you insight and an explanation on what is happening. It can be comforting and quite a relief as well.