Hallucinations are a person’s perception of an object that is absent in reality, arising from various mental disorders or problems with the senses. At the same time, a person can see, hear, or even feel and touch an object, which not only is not next to him at the moment, but may not even exist in nature.
A little background
It is no secret that the human brain is only 20% studied, and the remaining area remains a mystery to modern scientists. Therefore, it is not surprising that everything mysterious and not amenable to explanation is attributed precisely to this area. This criterion also includes hallucinations, which were a frequent occurrence even in the ancient era, when various mushrooms or plants were used by shamans or priests both in order to evoke “prophetic” visions and to communicate with long-dead ancestors. It is worth noting that among some peoples it was believed that hallucinations are a kind of panacea for some diseases. Cases of their use in art, science or culture have also been recorded. An example is the work of such famous masters as Edgar Poe, Gogol, Chopin, Vincent Van Gogh. The only sad thing is that the payback for such masterpieces was a gradual degradation and, as a result, absolute devastation.
To date, the types of hallucinations are quite diverse and include auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile. But the first thing to consider in more detail is, of course, the reason for the occurrence of such a phenomenon.
Hallucinations: causes, symptoms
Some of the reasons for the appearance of hallucinations can be both the use of a variety of narcotic substances (hash, opium), and drugs that stimulate a person’s psychological state (antidepressants, phenothiazines). Do not forget that the prerequisites for such conditions can serve as poisoning caused by both excessive drinking, and some mushrooms or spices. An example is nutmeg, which hallucinations are caused when consumed in large quantities.
Lesions of the temporal part of the brain can be the cause of olfactory hallucinations, which is quite common in patients with schizophrenia. And if you add to it also herpetic encephalitis, then in addition there is also taste.
Manifestations of visual hallucination are primarily associated with exacerbations of diseases of the organs of vision. For such states, as a rule, various visions and images are characteristic in which a person can take part.
Kinds
In addition to separation by the original source of appearance, hallucinations are also divided into false and true. For example, in the second type of condition, a person is not a direct participant in the action, but rather, as it were, an outside observer. The false phenomenon, on the contrary, completely captures the human consciousness, projecting only in it.
As mentioned above, at the moment there are a lot of types of hallucinations, therefore, we consider only the main and most common of them.
Visual hallucinations
Such hallucinations can be manifested as a flash of light, spots or smoke (simple), and a variety of visions (complex) arising from a clouding of consciousness. They can be:
- Moving.
- Motionless.
- Changing.
- Plain.
- Multi-colored.
Their size can vary from small to very large. As a rule, visual hallucinations most often occur not in the field of vision of a person, but as if a little from behind or from the side. They appear mainly in the evening and at night.
Auditory hallucinations
Today, hallucinations of hearing include akoasma, phoneme and verbal.
- Hallucinations are called acoasma, manifested in the form of a variety of bells, bells, bangs and rattles.
- Phonemes include hallucinations, manifested in separate words or phrases that are heard by the patient.
- Verbal hallucinations, however, are characterized by various voices familiar to a person that appeal to him. They can appear in the form of a whisper, or in the form of a scream. It is worth noting that, by their nature, voices can be benevolent and soothing, arising against the background of euphoria, or, conversely, menacing and condemning (depression).
As a rule, auditory hallucinations are perceived by two ears, but there are exceptions when sounds are heard only on one side. Most often they occur at night or in complete silence.
Hallucinations of olfactory, tactile and taste character
Hallucinations of smell include not very clear and weakly distinguishable odors that cause unpleasant sensations.
Taste hallucinations are the sensations of the taste of food and moisture in the mouth. It is worth noting that when eating most patients noted its unpleasant and unusual taste.
Important ! The treatment of hallucinations of this origin is quite troublesome if not started in the early stages.
The tactile sensations include tickling, creeping creeps. Cases of such hallucinations are recorded both on the body and inside it.
Diagnostics
First of all, it is necessary to understand that a person has a hallucination, and not a manifestation of an illusion, when it may seem to him that the object in front of him will change its shape and turn into some kind of animal. Hallucinations - this is when a person can show, for example, in the corner of a room and quite seriously say that someone is there. The difference between this condition is that the patient is not easy enough to convince that he was wrong.
It is also very important to observe the behavior of a person, since it is through it that it often becomes possible to determine which type of hallucination takes place. Cases of the occurrence of such a phenomenon of an episodic nature are common, in this case it is very important not to miss this period. No need to panic and think: “Oh God, these are hallucinations, what should I do?” The first step is to pay special attention to the facial expressions of a person, since in most cases facial expressions that are not characteristic of a given situation are reflected (fear, horror, anger, joy, surprise, etc.). More pronounced hallucinations are manifested in spitting out food, sharply squinting the eyes, pinching the nose and plugging the ears. There have been cases when, in such conditions, people threw themselves under cars or jumped out of windows, fleeing imaginary monsters. As a rule, such a phenomenon is most often combined with various states of delirium, and its manifestations in an isolated state are very rare.
Diseases that cause hallucinations
The cause of this condition can be a variety of diseases, the main among which are schizophrenia and alcoholism.
So, people with alcoholism are primarily prone to manifestations of auditory hallucinations. As a rule, this is manifested in various voices, arguing with each other, because of which the patient has panic, leading to the most unpleasant consequences.
Syphilis of the brain can also cause hallucinations, expressed in negative visions, screams.
Do not forget that the use of narcotic substances not only leads to the appearance of malignant tumors, but also manifests itself in strong hallucinations of an imperative nature.
Especially worth noting is the disease of amentia, characterized by the most severe form of impaired consciousness. His symptomatology is manifested in a violation of the synthesis of perception, thinking, speech and inability to navigate in the surrounding space. The danger is that the types of hallucinations caused by the disease can be fatal.
Hallucinogens
Despite all the negative consequences, a sufficient number of people still try to consciously cause hallucinations. For this, hallucinogens (marijuana, beta-carbolines, LSD) are used, as well as a variety of plants or mushrooms, for example nutmeg, which causes hallucinations in the form of short-term euphoria and various visions.
The reasons for taking hallucinogens include:
- Prolonged depression and frustration in life.
- Waiting for sharp and unusual sensations and emotions.
- The desire to evoke vivid visions.
But it is worth remembering that hallucinations are not only short-term minutes filled with bright new colors, but also moments for which you may have to pay with your health or even your life.
The manifestation of hallucinations in the elderly
According to the latest statistics, the greatest number of manifestations of hallucinations is recorded in elderly people, which is not surprising, given the possible age-related changes in their state of health. As a rule, people of advanced age are most often prone to bouts of depression, complicated by a variety of anxiety sensations and a fear of the unknown. This condition, in turn, is fertile ground for the appearance of hallucinations in older people, manifested in the form of various voices, color spots or unpleasant tactile sensations.
Hallucinations in children
This phenomenon does not pass by the younger generation. So, according to recent data, more than 15% of children are susceptible to this phenomenon.
It manifests itself regardless of the gender or location of the child. The causes that cause the child to hallucinate include a high fever. This is due to the fact that high body temperature leads not only to weakness and aches throughout the body, but also causes clouding of consciousness, which, in turn, means that the brain is not able to control it at the proper level. It is especially worth noting that it is strictly forbidden to leave the child in this condition, since this phenomenon is temporary and may develop into a panic.
The most dangerous hallucinations in children include those that occur at night. And in this case, for parents whose children are not only panicky afraid to stay alone at night, but can also scream and urinate in bed during sleep, it is very important to find out the reason for their condition. It is important in no case to condemn or reproach for the fear shown. Remember that it is necessary to listen to the baby with all the attention and, most importantly, understanding, since such a state that is left unattended in the future can develop into a phobia and lead to serious changes in the psychological state of the child.
According to some experts, the treatment of hallucinations in children does not cause such an acute need as in adults, since they tend to outgrow it. But there is an opinion that it is unlikely to completely get rid of them, and under certain circumstances they may arise again.
Hallucination First Aid
First of all, when the symptoms of this phenomenon appear, it must be borne in mind that for the patient, everything that happens is reality. Therefore, the following recommendations should be followed that can minimize the possible relapse of this condition:
- In no case should you even make an attempt to somehow dissuade the patient that everything that happens to him is unrealistic.
- It is necessary to find a way to help a person cope with the feelings or feelings that have enveloped him. For example, if he has a strong impression that vampires can come to him at night and drink his blood, then he must work together with him to come up with the means of his "salvation" from them.
- It is necessary to create such conditions under which the hallucination would not be scary either to the person who came under its influence or to the people around him.
It is strictly forbidden:
- To joke over his experiences.
- Show irritation in response to unfounded fears.
- To convince the patient that everything that happens to him is a figment of his imagination.
- Focus on what is happening to him. For example, find out the source of "suspicious" sounds.
- It is especially important during this period not to raise the voice of the patient unnecessarily. In this case, it is recommended to create a feeling in him that you will do everything possible to save him.
- In special cases, when the patient is overly excited, you can try to calm him down with various sedatives, walk around the guests or turn on soothing music. In some cases, you may need to call a doctor.
Treatment methods
Today, there are several methods for treating hallucinations. But it should be borne in mind that if their cause is a mental disorder, then therapy should be started only after consulting a psychiatrist. Basically, treatment is aimed at stopping the attack and eliminating the delusional state. For this purpose, the patient is given an injection of the drug "Aminazin" or "Tizercin", combining it with the drug "Trisedil" or "Haloperidol". Also, the treatment regimen may include the use of antipsychotic and atypical antipsychotic drugs.
But, as practice shows, a healthy lifestyle, reducing stress and avoiding the use of hallucinogens will several times reduce the manifestation of hallucinations in humans, or even make it possible to forget about its existence.