Hallucinations

Hallucinations and delusions are among the most common symptoms of schizophrenia. Both are considered positive symptoms, meaning they are not seen in healthy people.

Hallucinations
Hallucinations are defined as experiences and sensations that are not comprehensible to others. To the person experiencing them, however, they may seem real, urgent, and vivid. Roughly 70% of people with schizophrenia will experience hallucinations.

Auditory hallucinations are most commonly experienced by people with schizophrenia and may include hearing voices—sometimes multiple voices — or other sounds like whispering or murmuring. Voices may seem angry or urgent and often make demands on the hallucinating person.

Visual hallucinations involve seeing objects, people, lights, or patterns that are not actually present. Visualizing dead loved ones, friends or other people they knew can be particularly distressing. Perception may be altered as well resulting in difficulty judging distance

Olfactory hallucinations involve the sense of smell or taste, both good or bad, that are not actually present. This can be particularly dangerous if a person believes he is being poisoned and refrains from eating.

Tactile hallucinations are feelings of movement or sensation on your body that are not actually present such as hands on your body or insects crawling around or inside you.

Hallucinations don’t necessarily indicate schizophrenia. People with mood disorders, schizoaffective disorders, and other physical and mental health conditions may also hallucinate. Hallucination may also occur when under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Delusions
Delusions are defined as beliefs that conflict with reality. Delusions are one of the most common symptoms of schizophrenia. These beliefs might include:

Persecutory delusions: When a person believes a person, group, or organization is mistreating or harming them despite contradictory evidence.

Erotomanic delusions: When a person believes another is in love with them, despite no evidence. This other person is often a celebrity or person in power.

Somatic delusions: When a person believes they have an illness or their body is affected by a strange condition, despite contradictory evidence.

Grandiose delusions: When a person believes they have superior abilities or qualities (i.e. talent, fame, wealth) despite no evidence.

Sometimes a person will experience a recurring theme in their delusions over a period, which makes them seem more convincing to the individual experiencing them. Hallucinations are sometimes categorized as secondary delusions if they involve having a false belief in the voice they are hearing or other sensation they are experiencing.