Secondary Research- Hallucinations

Hallucinations are sensations that appear to be real but are created within the mind.

Examples include seeing things that are not there, hearing voices or other sounds,

experiencing body sensations like crawling feelings on the skin, or smelling odours

that are not there. Hallucinations can be a feature of psychotic disorders such

as schizophrenia and are also very common in drug-induced states and in drug

withdrawal. This occurs with a number of different drugs, medicinal or otherwise.

Hallucinations in relation to bereavement

The ‘acute grief’ that occurs in the early aftermath of a death can be intensely painful

and is often characterized by behaviours and emotions that would be considered

unusual in normal everyday life.

What occurs for survivors is the transformation of a relationship that had heretofore

operated on several levels of actual, symbolic, internalized, and imagined relatedness

to one in which the actual (living and breathing) relationship has been lost. However,

other forms of the relationship remain, and continue to evolve and change. Thus, it is

not unusual for bereaved individuals to dream of their deceased loved ones, to half

look for them in crowds, to sense their presence, feel them watching out for or

protecting them, to rehearse discussions or “speak” to them. Auditory or visual

hallucinations of the deceased person are often seen during acute grief.

A large majority of the bereaved experience depressed mood; anorexia and beginning

weight loss; initial, middle, and terminal insomnia; marked crying; some fatigue and

loss of interest in their surroundings, restlessness; and guilt. Suicidal thoughts and

ideas and hallucinations are also noticommon