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Visual Hallucinations

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Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology

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Synonyms

Visual illusions

Short Description or Definition

Visual hallucinations can be defined as false sensory experiences that occur in the absence of an external stimulus. The spectrum of abnormal visual sensations can range from simple images of dots, lines, flashing lights, or geometric shapes to elaborate and vivid images of people, animals, objects, or scenes.

In contrast to hallucinations, the term visual illusion has been applied to situations in which an external stimulus is present, but the perception of the image is altered in terms of shape, size, number, location, movement, or temporal duration. For example, an individual’s face may seem stretched and distorted, with the abnormal visual image persisting after the person leaves the room.

Although the traditional distinction between hallucinations and illusions is firmly established in the neuropsychological literature, a strict taxonomic separation between these two entities may not be fully justified or relevant owing to...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology Section, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, 3601 S 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85723, USA

    G. Alex Hishaw, Tanya P. Lin & Steven Z. Rapcsak

Authors
  1. G. Alex Hishaw
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  2. Tanya P. Lin
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  3. Steven Z. Rapcsak
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Correspondence to Steven Z. Rapcsak .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Richmond, Virgin Islands, USA

    Jeffrey Kreutzer

  2. Kessler Foundation , West Orange, New Jersey, USA

    John DeLuca

  3. Suite 200 , Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA

    Bruce Caplan

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Hishaw, G.A., Lin, T., Rapcsak, S.Z. (2017). Visual Hallucinations. In: Kreutzer, J., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_1373-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_1373-2

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