Delusions and hallucinations are the most characteristic symptoms of psychoses, and constitute, in particular, the manifestations of that detachment from reality that has been recognized as one of the distinctive features of the most serious. They are two closely intertwined phenomena, but we can often get confused about their correct placement in various mental disorders. In this Psychology-Online article, we tell you the difference between delirium and hallucination.
A delirium is a idea or a set of ideas that are not real, but are perceived as real. Even without having any correspondence with the data of reality, they do not yield to the arguments of the discussion or to the denials of experience. These ideas of central importance in the vision of the world of the delusional person are inaccessible to people who belong to the same cultural sphere. A lucid delusion is usually differentiated, in which the subject is calm and present in reality in which he lives, of a confused delirium, which arises and is accompanied by an alteration of the state of conscience.
Karl Jaspers distinguishes between delirious ideas and true delusions:
- The former are at the base of the so-called understandable delusions, because they can be traced to psychic contents that somehow justify them, such as a delusion of ruin in a depressive phase or in a special situation, such as imprisonment or isolation Social.
- The latter are at the base of the incomprehensible delusions, which are for Jaspers the typical schizophrenia and from paranoia.
Also E. Kretschmer speaks of a deliroid condition on the subject of paranoid delusion that does not evolve into schizophrenia, but rather it crystallizes "encysting" in the personality of the individual without further elaboration, or it disappears due to full.
The numerous forms of delirium can be classified from different points of view, for example, depending on the triggering physiological cause, duration or symptoms; Among the various specifications of the term delirium, the following can be cited:
- Delusion of collapse
- Delusion of influence or delusion of reference
- Touching delusion
- Nihilistic delusion
- Dream delusion
- Occupational or professional delusion
- Residual delirium
- Interpretive delusion
- Delusion of persecution
- Strange delusion
- Delusion of control
- Insertion delusion
- Erotomanic delusion or erotomania
- Jealous delusion
- Delusion of grandeur or megalomania
- Somatic delirium
- Religious delusion
- Delusion of identity
A hallucination is a perception of something that does not exist and yet it is considered real. This perception, which is involuntary and uncritical, has the characteristics of sensoriality and projection. The most frequent hallucinations are those of the sense organs and, in particular, sight and hearing. To these are added the less frequent and more specialized hallucinations in its configuration.
Hallucinations can also be experienced by normal people, such as when you have the sensation of hearing the ringing or smelling burning (known as pseudo-hallucinations), and are common in the waking phase (hypnopompic hallucinations) or to sleep (hypnagogic hallucinations).
According to the sense organs concerned, hallucinations can be subdivided into:
- Acoustic hallucinations
- Visual hallucinations
- Olfactory and taste hallucinations
- Tactile hallucinations
- Kinesthetic or schematic hallucinations
- Sexual hallucinations
- Motor hallucinations
- Reflex hallucinations
- Extracampal hallucinations
- Negative hallucinations
- Mnesic hallucinations
- Eidetic images
Here you will find explained all types of hallucinations.
Hallucination, delirium, illusion, fable, paranoia..., is everything the same? What is the difference between delirium and hallucination? Let's see the differences and similarities between delusions and hallucinations:
Hallucination is a perception and delusion a belief. Both can be part of different clinical pictures, as well as appear for different reasons, but the main difference between delusions and hallucinations is that the latter imply a real perception of a non-existent stimulus, that is, a perceptual act is produced and not a belief or interpretation of something. This stimulus can be visual, auditory, olfactory, or even gustatory or tactile, and its perception is real by the patient, although this does not exist, but the erroneous interpretation of a stimulus that does exist can never be considered hallucination exists.
In delirium, a stimulus that really exists is misinterpreted, while in hallucinations a non-existent stimulus is perceived. The delusional, convinced that he is being followed by evil men, does not see these men even when there are none, rather, he recognizes them in unknown interns or even claims that they are capable of invisibility.
You can be aware that a hallucination is not real, but you cannot see a delusion as a wrong thought. In addition, although it is not always true, the person who suffers from hallucinations can become relatively easily convinced that what he sees is not real even though he continues to see it (although this may bring additional difficulties), while a delusional person will never believe his convictions to be delusional or false while the delusion is maintained, it is a nonsense. The delusional person who does not believe his beliefs are true is clearly in remission.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
