Philosophy Café with Douwe Draaisma

What Our Brains Make Us Believe: On Silence, Delusions, and Hallucinations

The theme of History Month is: body and mind. The Sneek Philosophy Café and the Library are therefore organizing a joint evening event exploring the relationship between our brains and topics such as silence, delusions, and hallucinations. Our guest speaker is Douwe Draaisma, professor emeritus of psychology, who will share his extensive knowledge on these topics with us.

Our brains are not designed for silence. As things become increasingly quiet—for example, due to progressive hearing loss—the brain may respond by hallucinating, sometimes in the form of auditory hallucinations. As eyesight declines, visual hallucinations may occur. Even in the presence of monotonous, uniform stimuli or sensory deprivation, the brain draws from its own reserves to generate stimuli that need to be processed. Our brain needs to be kept active, even if it has to do so on its own. Douwe Draaisma will discuss hallucinations among mountain climbers and long-distance swimmers, as well as the experiences of mourners who occasionally still see or hear their lost loved ones.

After the lecture, there will be time for questions. Books will also be available for purchase, and you can have a book signed.

Many of Douwe Draaisma’s books deal with autobiographical memory, including *Why Life Goes Faster as You Get Older*, *The Nostalgia Factory*, *The Book of Forgetting*, and *If My Memory Serves Me Right*.

The admission fee includes coffee or tea.

Photographer: Reyer Boxem

The Philosophy Café explores life’s big questions, current topics, and everything in between. No dry lectures—just an open exchange of ideas and perspectives. Everyone is welcome—you don’t have to be a philosopher to join in. Let yourself be surprised by new insights, listen to others, and discover how inspiring it is to think together.