The experiential core of the obsessive mind rests on subtle, primary mental phenomena (such as obsessions and so called “sensory phenomena”) which precede and trigger behavioral compulsions. Converging evidence supports a possible pathophysiological role for altered corollary discharge (phenotypically expressed in sensorimotor symptoms and contributing to a reduced Sense of Agency [SoA]), in the neurodevelopment of obsessions and “sensory phenomena.” In phenomenological terms, “sensory phenomena” may represent the subjective experiential resonance of an individual history of persistent inaccurate sensory predictions, whereas accompanying manifestations, such as the obsessive need for order and symmetry, may represent a compensatory attempt to mitigate “sensory phenomena” (eg, by increasing the sensory predictability of the surrounding world). Since disturbances of both SoA and Sense of Ownership have been thematized as potential pathogenetic factors in the neurodevelopment of the psychotic mind, a dimensional account of altered sensorimotor prediction may partly explain the affinities (and high comorbidity) between obsessive–compulsive disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

强迫性思维的体验核心依赖于先于并触发行为强迫的微妙的、初级的心理现象（例如强迫症和所谓的“感觉现象”）。越来越多的证据支持在强迫症和“感觉现象”的神经发育中，改变的必然放电（以感觉运动症状表型表达并导致代理感 [SoA] 降低）可能具有病理生理学作用。用现象学术语来说，“感觉现象”可能代表个人对持续不准确的感觉预测历史的主观经验共鸣，而伴随的表现，例如对秩序和对称的强迫性需求，可能代表减轻“感觉现象”的补偿性尝试（例如，通过增加周围世界的感官可预测性）。