What Are Hallucinations And What Types Are There?

Hallucinations are psychological phenomena that, due to their uniqueness and relatively low prevalence, arouse great interest. They present themselves in different health conditions and do so with very different manifestations. So today we’re going to look at the different types of hallucinations that exist.

The first and most concise definition of this term is attributed to the French psychiatrist Esquirol. He described the hallucination as “an objectless perception”. That is, when we suffer a hallucination, we perceive images, sounds, smells, without an external stimulus that causes this perception.

Hallucinations or illusions?

Hallucinations are often confused with illusions, but in reality, their differences are clear. In the case of illusion, there is an external stimulus, but this is misperceived. For example, we wake up in the middle of the night and when we look at the bedroom chair full of clothes, we believe we are seeing a person’s silhouette.

Another big difference is that when illusions pass through the filter of reason, they quickly disappear. On the contrary, hallucinations present themselves with the same force and impact as reality and resist all kinds of rational reflection. In other words, the person is firmly convinced that what he perceives really exists.

What types of hallucinations are there?

There are several ways to classify hallucinations: depending on their complexity, cause, way of appearing… In this case, we will focus on the types of hallucinations that exist according to the sensory modality in which they occur.

visuals

In visual hallucinations, the individual perceives through vision something that, in fact, is not there. They can be simple, like flashes of light, or complex. The latter are much more elaborate and one can see complete scenes that include moving and colored figures.

These are types of hallucinations that occur during transitional moments between wakefulness and sleep. They are also characteristic of altered states due to substance use and usually appear during alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

auditory

They are the most frequent and most common in cases of schizophrenia. As in the previous case, the person can hear only elementary sounds or complete conversations. Its content is often threatening or imperative. The individual can hear how he is ordered, accused, or even various voices speak about him.

Taste and smell

They usually appear together and are much less frequent than before. They are usually unpleasant smells and tastes.

In the case of olfactory ones, the person may think that the smell comes from the body itself (rot smell) or from the outside (my whole house smelled like urine). On the other hand, taste hallucinations can lead a person to believe that they are being poisoned through food.

somatics

They are bodily sensations, physical perceptions in some part of the body. The individual may feel an electrical current, feel petrified, that his body is tearing itself apart, or that his organs are decaying.

tactile

They involve the sensation of touch: there is the perception of being touched, grasped, burned (passive hallucinations), or of oneself touching something that does not actually exist (active).

Kinesthetics

They imply a wrong perception of the movement of the body itself. The person may feel that they are levitating or being displaced. They are frequent in patients with Parkinson’s and some types of schizophrenia, as well as among those who consume psychoactive substances.

Hallucinations and mental health

Hallucinations are often associated with psychological disorders. While it is true that many mental conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and dementia are accompanied by this phenomenon, this is not the only cause. However, they can also be caused by the use or withdrawal of substances, as well as in cases of brain damage or tumor.

Even healthy people can experience hallucinations such as sleep paralysis, migraine auras, or those who believe they see or hear a deceased loved one during the grieving process. In any case, if they are frequent or interfere with our well-being, it is necessary to consult a specialist.