Auditory hallucinations involve hearing sounds without an external source. Voices are a common form in schizophrenia, although people may also hear music, footsteps or other noises. A voice may seem to come from outside the…Continue Reading
Psychosis refers to a state in which perceptions or beliefs become substantially disconnected from shared reality. Common features include hallucinations, delusions and markedly disorganised thinking. A person might hear a voice without an external speaker…Continue Reading
Visual hallucinations involve seeing something without a matching external stimulus. They can be simple, such as flashes or shapes, or complex, such as people, animals or complete scenes. They differ from illusions, in which a…Continue Reading
Perception is the process of interpreting sensory information into meaningful experiences. During psychosis, a person may hear, see or feel something without a corresponding external stimulus. These experiences are called hallucinations. Perceptual changes can also…Continue Reading
Hallucinations can involve touch, smell, taste or bodily sensations as well as hearing and vision. Tactile hallucinations may feel like crawling, touching or pressure on the skin. Olfactory hallucinations involve smells without an external source…Continue Reading
Beliefs help people interpret events and decide how to respond. During psychosis, an interpretation may become fixed and resistant to evidence that would usually encourage reconsideration. A person may believe they are being monitored, have…Continue Reading
Scientists investigate hallucinations as changes in the processes that construct perception. The brain combines sensory input with expectations, memories and attention. One hypothesis proposes that expectations receive too much weight when external information is uncertain.…Continue Reading
Psychosis can accompany several different conditions. Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are important examples, but psychotic symptoms may also occur during mania or severe depression. Substances such as stimulants and high-THC cannabis can contribute, while prescribed…Continue Reading
The impact of hallucinations depends on their content, frequency, meaning and the person’s sense of control. A quiet but threatening voice may be more distressing than a loud neutral one. Fear, exhaustion and isolation can…Continue Reading
A psychotic episode may develop over hours, days or longer, and its duration depends partly on the cause. Some episodes resolve relatively quickly, while others persist or recur. Clinicians distinguish the onset of symptoms, the…Continue Reading