Definition
A sensory perception in the absence of an external stimulus. Hallucinations are often differentiated from sensory illusions which are distortions or misinterpretations of actual sensory experiences. Hallucinations can involve any sensory modality (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory).
Simple (unformed) hallucinations are sensory perceptions that are typically vague and without meaning (e.g., whistling sounds, flashing lights, geometric patterns). In complex (formed) hallucinations, the perceptual experience generally concerns objects, people, or animals (e.g., hearing voices, seeing animals, or tasting chocolate).
Common causes of hallucinations include:
Psychosis (resulting from delirium or psychotic disorder)
Cerebral lesions (especially related to ictal discharge)
Amputation (phantom pain)
Certain dementias (e.g., Lewy Body)
Cross References
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences and Readings
Tenkin, S., & Cummings, J. L. (2003). Hallucinations and related conditions. In K. M. Heilman & E. Valenstein (Eds.), Clinical neuropsychology (4th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Capruso, D. X., Hamsher, K. D., & Benton, A. L. (1998). Clinical evaluation of visual perception and constructional ability. In P. J. Snyder & P. D. Nussbaum (Eds.), Clinical neuropsychology: A pocket handbook for assessment. (pp. 521–540). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this entry
Cite this entry
Newman, P. (2011). Hallucination. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_2101
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_2101
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-79947-6
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79948-3
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science