Hallucinations are false perceptions without external stimuli, caused by various factors including drug use, mood disorders, and neurotransmitter imbalances. They occur in all senses and require a person to be awake. Schizophrenics commonly experience auditory hallucinations, while manic-depressives and drug users are more prone to visual hallucinations. Alcohol withdrawal can also cause hallucinations.
Hallucinations are false perceptions that occur without an external stimulus, unlike illusions which are a misperception of real things caused by an external stimulus. Hallucinations can be caused by a wide variety of things and occur in all senses of the body. However, a person must be awake to experience them, unlike dreams that occur while someone is sleeping.
People suffering from mood disorders such as schizophrenia and depression often have hallucinations. Schizophrenics commonly hear voices and sounds that are auditory hallucinations that are thought to be caused by high levels of dopamine in a person’s brain. Although schizophrenics also experience visual hallucinations, seeing things that aren’t really there, they are more common in manic-depressives, especially older people.
Another common cause is drug use. Regardless of the legality of the drug in question, hallucinogens cause false perceptions because they disrupt the normal balance of neurotransmitters in a person’s brain. People who use cocaine, methamphetamine, or other amphetamines may hallucinate because of an overproduction of dopamine in the brain. Lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, is responsible for blocking the functions of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. Phencyclidine (PCP) causes hallucinations by blocking glutamate. Tactile hallucinations, which occur when a person feels something that isn’t there, are rare in general, but are mostly seen in drug users.
Drugs prescribed for depression, sleeping pills, and some anesthetics can cause hallucinations. Drugs including ketamine, paroxetine, mirtazapine and zolpidem have hallucinogenic side effects. Antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV and antipsychotics used for Alzheimer’s patients are also thought to cause hallucinations in some people.
In addition to drug use, alcohol use can also cause hallucinations. More specifically, the abrupt cessation of alcohol consumption can cause auditory hallucinations in people. After a few days of abstinence, when delirium tremens (DT) sets in, it is common for people to have visual hallucinations.
Disorders caused by the imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain commonly cause hallucinations. One example is narcolepsy, in which people sleep uncontrollably for short periods. In addition to auditory and visual hallucinations, it is common for narcoleptics to experience taste and smell hallucinations. A gustatory hallucination occurs when a person tastes something that isn’t there, while an olfactory hallucination occurs when a person smells something that isn’t there.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
