In a groundbreaking stride toward unraveling the enigma of auditory hallucinations, researchers Alessandro F. Carluccio and Georg Northoff have charted a pioneering path that bridges the microscopic intricacies of neuronal activity with the expansive terrain of mental topography. Their study, slated for publication in Translational Psychiatry in 2025, offers a neurophenomenological framework that promises to revolutionize the way science understands the origin and manifestation of auditory hallucinations, transcending traditional biomedical models to encompass a holistic union of brain dynamics and subjective experience.
Auditory hallucinations—vivid perceptions of sound in the absence of external stimuli—are a hallmark symptom in several psychiatric conditions, notably schizophrenia, but also emerge in diverse neuropsychological contexts. Historically, these phenomena have been studied predominantly through the lens of neuroimaging or pharmacology, often delineating aberrant neuronal firing patterns or neurotransmitter imbalances around specific brain regions such as the auditory cortex or the default mode network. Yet, these approaches fall short of articulating why and how the disordered neuronal events translate into the rich, often profoundly personal, experiences reported by patients.
Carluccio and Northoff’s neurophenomenological approach attempts to reconcile this gap by integrating the rigor of neuroscience with phenomenology—the philosophical discipline centered on the structure of subjective experience. This synthesis not only facilitates the mapping of where neuronal dysfunction occurs but also explicates how these disruptions manifest phenomenally as hallucinatory sounds. By situating auditory hallucinations within a mental topography—a conceptual space representing the dynamic, relational qualities of mind-states—the authors propose a model that operationalizes subjective experience alongside measurable brain activity.
Central to their thesis is the idea of “neuronal-to-mental topography,” which posits that patterns of neuronal firing don’t merely occur in isolated hotspots but form complex spatial and temporal topographies that correspond to mental phenomena. Instead of a simple cause-effect cascade from neurons to experience, this model envisions a multidimensional relationship where neural networks dynamically sculpt the landscape of consciousness. The auditory hallucinations are thus seen not as aberrations confined to the auditory pathways but as emergent properties of a broader neural-mental system that underpins perception and selfhood.
Within this framework, the authors delve deeply into the oscillatory dynamics of neuronal ensembles. Oscillations in specific frequency bands—such as gamma and theta rhythms—are hypothesized to facilitate the binding of sensory information into coherent perceptual experiences. Dysregulation in these rhythms could disrupt the temporal coherence necessary for distinguishing internally generated sounds from external auditory inputs. This kinesthetic disarray in oscillatory activity may form a neurophysiological substrate for the intrusive experiences characteristic of hallucinations.
Adding further nuance, Carluccio and Northoff scrutinize the role of large-scale brain networks interacting over varying timescales. For instance, a dysconnectivity between the default mode network (implicated in internally-focused cognition) and the salience network (responsible for detecting and filtering stimuli) may compromise an individual’s ability to assign reality status to internally generated auditory phenomena. The researchers argue that hallucinations might emerge as the brain misattributes internally generated neural representations within these networks as originating from the external environment, a misattribution embedded in the mental topography.
Beyond these mechanistic insights, the study also highlights the variability in hallucinatory experiences across individuals, attributing this diversity to differences in mental topographies shaped by personal history, emotional states, and cognitive schemas. This personalized dimension reflects a move toward a more patient-centric understanding of psychosis and related phenomena, emphasizing that therapeutic interventions may need to target not just neural circuits but also the subjective contours shaping individual experience.
The practical implications of merging neurophenomenology with psychiatric research are profound. Therapeutic strategies could evolve to incorporate neurofeedback and cognitive training designed to realign dysfunctional neural-mental topographies. Moreover, this paradigm shift calls for the development of novel diagnostic tools capable of capturing the dynamic interplay between brain activity and phenomenology, potentially through advanced neuroimaging combined with real-time subjective reporting and computational modeling.
Interestingly, Carluccio and Northoff’s proposition also opens new avenues for the exploration of consciousness itself. Auditory hallucinations represent a particularly accessible window into how the brain constructs reality, allowing neuroscientists and philosophers alike to investigate the fundamental processes by which neural activity is woven into phenomenal experience. Such interdisciplinary research may well advance our understanding of consciousness beyond pathological contexts, informing theories of perception, self-awareness, and mind-body integration.
The authors acknowledge the challenges inherent in operationalizing the neurophenomenological approach, particularly the intricacies of aligning objective neuronal recordings with subjective reports—issues compounded by the inherently private nature of conscious experience. Despite these hurdles, advances in brain-computer interface technology and machine learning offer promising prospects for decoding and representing mental states, providing empirical footholds for the proposed mental topographies.
Critically, this study sets the stage for a paradigm where psychiatric symptoms are not merely seen as biological dysfunctions but as emergent phenomena arising from the complex, dynamic interaction between brain activity and experiential architecture. This shift may foster destigmatization, as it contextualizes conditions like schizophrenia within the broader spectrum of human experience, emphasizing the fluid boundaries between normal and pathological mental states.
As the field anticipates further empirical validation, the neurophenomenological model invites a reexamination of psychiatric nosology and treatment frameworks. If auditory hallucinations are truly manifestations of disrupted neuronal-to-mental mappings, then interventions aiming solely to suppress symptoms pharmacologically may prove insufficient. Instead, a multi-layered approach addressing neural dynamics, cognitive appraisals, and experiential contexts simultaneously could yield more enduring therapeutic outcomes.
Beyond clinical psychiatry, Carluccio and Northoff’s insights may have implications for artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction. Understanding how neuronal topographies give rise to mental phenomena might inform the design of more sophisticated neural network architectures capable of replicating aspects of human perception and consciousness, thereby advancing developments in machine learning and adaptive systems.
Moreover, this research could illuminate the phenomenology of hallucinations induced by non-pathological conditions, such as sensory deprivation, meditation, or psychedelic experiences, broadening its impact across neuroscience, psychology, and even philosophy. By framing hallucinations as a window into the constructive nature of consciousness, the study encourages a reconciliatory perspective that balances neurobiological causation with lived experience.
In summation, the upcoming publication by Carluccio and Northoff marks a seminal contribution to understanding auditory hallucinations through the lens of neurophenomenology. By articulating the concept of neuronal-to-mental topography, they chart a course toward integrating brain science with subjective experience, promising to catalyze innovations in diagnostics, therapeutics, and our fundamental grasp of consciousness itself. This holistic vision represents not just a leap in psychiatric research, but a clarion call toward embracing complexity in the human mind’s architecture, inviting science to listen anew to the voices within.
Subject of Research: Auditory hallucinations and their neurophenomenological underpinning, focusing on the integration of neuronal activity and mental topography.
Article Title: From neuronal to mental topography – Neurophenomenology of auditory hallucinations
Article References:
Carluccio, A.F., Northoff, G. From neuronal to mental topography – Neurophenomenology of auditory hallucinations. Transl Psychiatry (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03664-1
Image Credits: AI Generated
