One in twenty of us have experienced hallucinations at least once in our lives. In most cases, we are talking about healthy people. Visions, voices of “spirits” and other forms of mystical experience can arise as a result of the normal functioning of the brain, neuroscientists from the University of Cambridge (UK) say.
The brain not only receives information about the world through various channels (sight, hearing, tactile sensations), but also tries to predict what will happen next. Sometimes he is in a hurry and fills in the gaps with details and images that are not in reality. “Illusions and perceptual errors are a consequence of the brain’s habit of relying on previous experience when information is lacking or too chaotic,” explains Christoph Teufel, lead author of the study. Perhaps that is why hallucinations often occur against the background of insomnia, extreme physical exertion, or agony when the brain loses control over the body.
JAMA Psychiatry, 2015, vol. 72, № 7.
PNAS, 2015, vol. 112, № 43.