Hallucinations are sensory experiences that originate in the mind rather than in external reality. A person having a visual
hallucination sees something that isn''t there, while a person having an auditory
hallucination hears nonexistent noises. People also sometimes have tactile
hallucinations, characterized by the false sensation of being touched. Hallucinations are symptomatic of psychotic disorders, mental illnesses that impair thinking or mood severely enough to distort perception markedly. Hallucinations commonly occur during psychotic episodes, in which people are unable to separate real from unreal experiences or sensations. SYMPTOMS: claiming that voices are giving instructions about doing certain things, feeling invisible fingers touching one''s body, talking or listening to someone who isn''t there, thinking that is disordered or disturbed, and feeling extremely anxious and confused.