What is hallucination?

What is hallucination?

• A. Smelling something that is not there
• B. Seeing something that is real
• C. Hearing, feeling, tasting and touching something that is not there
• D. Believing something that is not based in reality

Answer: (C)

Hallucination is a perception-like experience that occurs without an external stimulus and is perceived as real by the person. It can involve any sense—hearing voices or sounds that aren’t there, seeing things that aren’t present, smelling something with no source, tasting something when nothing is in the mouth, or feeling tactile sensations without a real stimulus. Because it feels real to the experiencer, it’s distinguished from beliefs that aren’t based in reality (delusions) and from misinterpretations of real stimuli (illusions). Hallucinations can arise in various contexts, such as psychiatric conditions, delirium, sleep deprivation, or substance effects. The essential idea is the presence of a sensory experience without an external source.

Hallucination is a perception-like experience that occurs without an external stimulus and is perceived as real by the person. It can involve any sense—hearing voices or sounds that aren’t there, seeing things that aren’t present, smelling something with no source, tasting something when nothing is in the mouth, or feeling tactile sensations without a real stimulus. Because it feels real to the experiencer, it’s distinguished from beliefs that aren’t based in reality (delusions) and from misinterpretations of real stimuli (illusions). Hallucinations can arise in various contexts, such as psychiatric conditions, delirium, sleep deprivation, or substance effects. The essential idea is the presence of a sensory experience without an external source.