Hallucination

Term

Hallucination involves sensing unreal things. Hallucinations can engage all senses or only part of them. People might find these experiences convincing or realistic, or they may perceive themselves in temporary states, especially after using hallucinogenic substances. Pleasant or unpleasant, hallucinations can vary greatly. An unpleasant or unexpected hallucination can trigger a fear attack that escalates into complete panic. People with weak mental health or a predisposition to mental disorders may face long-term consequences. Everything can seem to happen within the mind or the body. During hallucinations, the ego might develop unusual and illogical abilities, such as seeing the entire perimeter around oneself simultaneously.

Auditory hallucinations might involve hearing gunshots, explosions, or other sounds. Voices might give advice, commands, or simply narrate ongoing events. During olfactory or taste hallucinations, people might experience unusual tastes or smells. Unpleasant hallucinations can make food seem poisoned. Tactile hallucinations involve feeling touches or sensations on various body parts. Often, these experiences come with an extraordinarily slowed perception of time—seconds can feel like minutes.

People sometimes classify hallucinations into five types based on intensity. The weakest involves a distorted sense of color, while the strongest presents a hallucination so realistic that one completely loses touch with reality. Some believe in a sixth intensity level, which remains unremembered for some reason. Users of hallucinogenic substances often discuss this idea, claiming they cannot recall what happened to them during those last few hours, only vaguely remembering it as “a lot of fun.”

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė