Episodic psychic symptoms in the general population.

The frequency of some episodic psychic symptoms (dysmnesic, perceptual, and experiential) was determined in a 2,500-subject general population sample. Correlations with some risk factors eventually associated with nervous system dysfunctions (seizure history, head injury, car accident, hospitalization, febrile illness, and birth injury) were calculated. Subjects with one or several risk factors were more likely to report episodic psychic phenomena in daily life. Significant correlations of episodic psychic phenomena with sleep disorders, headache, allergies, and a history of learning disabilities were observed. We propose that some subclinical dysfunctions can be associated with the appearance of episodic psychic phenomena in otherwise normal subjects.