Perception is the ability to capture information from the environment through a set of actions as a stimulus for final learning. It is, therefore, the result of a process of selection, interpretation and correction.
In many cases, the perception deficits are related to a mental disorder , such as schizophrenia . However, it does not always have to be conditioned to this, since human beings can be, for many other reasons, the victim of a disturbance in their way of seeing and interpreting reality. Faced with this problem, the result (from whatever trigger) is common: the experimentation of distortions and deceptions of the mind itself.
Hallucinations are the most common form of these cases of perceptual disturbance. This concept has evolved throughout history, modifying and enriching its definition. In short, hallucination occurs in the absence of a stimulus that triggers it, but giving the sensation to the sufferer that it is completely real . These can be caused by different reasons: schizophrenia, depression, epilepsy, tumors, substance use and even in small moments of stress or anxiety.
There is a wide range of different hallucinations, depending on the sensory modality in which they appear. The four major fields in which it is classified are: visual, auditory, taste and smell hallucinations, and finally, haptic hallucinations.
Visual hallucinations occur when the subject sees something that is not real . The distortion ranges from the visualization of small flashes to people, imaginary beings and even lived scenes. Within this modality, some more striking subcategories are the ” Lilliputians “, in which the size of what we see does not correspond to how it would look in reality (for example, a giant bee) or ” autoscopy “, whereby the person can see himself from outside his body. These hallucinations are very common with substance use.
The next, auditory , are common in schizophrenia. These consist of hearing something that does not exist, from a simple noise to a voice that speaks to us. In many cases, these internal voices order actions to the person .
Hallucinations of smell and taste are the least common of all, and are often associated with poisoning or neurological disorders. And finally, haptic hallucinations are those produced from touch . A distinction has been made between active tactile hallucinations, in which the subject believes they have touched non-existent objects, and passive hallucinations, in which the patient believes they have been touched. This can be considered one of the most traumatic, since those who suffer them may feel that they are burned or punctured, among others. Although, on the other hand, there are also cases that experience alterations of a sexual nature.
Part of what makes hallucinations so conspicuous is the sufferer’s inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality. We review in this gallery what things can cause hallucinations, as well as the most curious syndromes .
