Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Mental Health (Expert Forum)
hallucinations or visions?
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
hallucinations or visions?
by WJS, Feb 16, 2000 12:00AM
I have a friend who says she sees violent images when she meditates, and she also says she sees things move when she meditates. She's previously been treated with medication for depression, and isn't currently on medication. She explains the things that are moving when she meditates as a spiritual vision. I also have a friend who says she sees images of people, mostly out of the corners of her eyes but not always, and she says it's spirit guides or something like that. She also has panic attacks and depression. She's seeing a therapist.
My question is whether in either of these cases it's possible that these are hallucinations related to a mental health condition? I have no idea whether they've talked to their doctors about these visions they've had.
My question is whether in either of these cases it's possible that these are hallucinations related to a mental health condition? I have no idea whether they've talked to their doctors about these visions they've had.
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS MD-JM, Feb 17, 2000 12:00AM
WJS,
A hallucination is a sensory perception in the absence of an external stimuli. It is possible that these are hallucinations but need further probing to clarify. It is important to realize that certain cultures and religions may have beliefs in visions while praying/ meditating. Hallucinations by themselves are not sufficient to establish psychosis or any mental disorder in and of themselves. If one exhibits behavior of responding to these experiences then it is more suggestive of mental illness. Hope this was helpful.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
Keywords: Hallucinations, illusions
A hallucination is a sensory perception in the absence of an external stimuli. It is possible that these are hallucinations but need further probing to clarify. It is important to realize that certain cultures and religions may have beliefs in visions while praying/ meditating. Hallucinations by themselves are not sufficient to establish psychosis or any mental disorder in and of themselves. If one exhibits behavior of responding to these experiences then it is more suggestive of mental illness. Hope this was helpful.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
Keywords: Hallucinations, illusions
