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Beliefs and hallucinations

plindboe

Graduate Poster
plindboe
Joined
Apr 4, 2003
Messages
1,246
There often seems to be a correlation between what people believe and their reported hallucinations. For instance the alien abduction scene with the small men with big heads and huge black eyes that so many different people seem to experience. People who experience religious visions is another example, since the experiences always seem to mimic the religion the individuals hold. There are endless other examples.

I therefore wonder whether beliefs have a saying in how hallucinations progress, or whether it's the other way 'round; that beliefs of the individual are simply used to interpret the more random hallucinations.

Any thoughts? Or anyone know of any research that can shed some light on this issue?
 
At first glance, my gut tells me it's a perception/interpretation thing. Hallucinations can be very clear and detailed or fuzzy, vague, and hard to remember.

For instance, once I had a very high fever, I must have been 10 or 11 years old then, and for maybe 3 hours on and off I saw a blue glowing light off to the right of my bed.
Obviously, it was a hallucination brought on by fever, but as a devout young Catholic I swore it was Holy Mary come to watch over me. Now I know better, but I still remember the blue light.

Hmm, just an idea for you. ;)
 
I think it would depend a great deal on the cause of the hallucinations.

If it's dusk and I can't see what the object is in the road, I'm likely to think it is an animal or curb or something I am familiar with.

For the truly mentally ill, religion often plays a part in their delusions. "They" are following me is a paranoia theme that translates into all sorts of characters but typically government agents of various sorts.

NDEs have religious interpretations almost always positive.

Ketamine anesthesia is known to produce nightmares and I thought it interesting when one NDE case where ketamine had been given supposedly saw hell instead of heaven. A sample size of 1 isn't enough to draw conclusions, though.

And, I believe it has been established, though I haven't personally looked at the data, that instead of UFOs, 100+ years ago the stories were of fairies and other myths of the day, but with similar themes of abductions and sightings.

I don't think you can draw such broad conclusions about hallucination themes. Clearly though, we can only see what we know if it is internally generated vision or conclusion.
 
People interpret the things they see in a way so it matches with their cultural and personal norms. It seems the way e.g. aliens and their machinery are described by abductees changed a great deal during the last 50 years and Hollywood had a big say in it.

I think it's Shermer who pointed out that people who have NDEs experience just what they expect the afterlife to be like according to their belief system.

To hallucinate something like bigfoot you first have to have an expectation of what bigfoot looks like. So yes, I would say that there's a strong correlation between beliefs and hallucinations.
 
Thanks for the great replies. :)

It is my impression that it's almost impossible to determine whether a belief has guided a hallucination or have simply been used to interpret the hallucination, since we in both cases end up with people telling their amazing tales that curiously enough mimic their own beliefs on the subject. How can we tell the difference?

(I'm still interested in any studies which have managed to solve this question)
 
plindboe said:
Thanks for the great replies. :)

It is my impression that it's almost impossible to determine whether a belief has guided a hallucination or have simply been used to interpret the hallucination, since we in both cases end up with people telling their amazing tales that curiously enough mimic their own beliefs on the subject. How can we tell the difference?

(I'm still interested in any studies which have managed to solve this question)
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That's a very interesting question indeed. There seem to be a few studies about the correlation between beliefs and "paranormal experiences", but as I understand that's not really what you're looking for.
Nevertheless, Wiseman did a study that might be worth looking into, although its focus is on suggestion, not actual hallucinations:

Belief in the paranormal and suggestion in the seance room
Authors: Wiseman R.; Greening E.; Smith M.
Source: British Journal of Psychology, August 2003, vol. 94, no. 3, pp. 285-297(13)
Publisher: British Psychological Society
Abstract: In Experiment 1, participants took part in a fake seance. An actor suggested that a table was levitating when, in fact, it remained stationary. After the seance, approximately one third of participants incorrectly reported that the table had moved. Results also showed a significant relationship between the reported movement of the table and belief in the paranormal, with a greater percentage of believers than disbelievers, reporting that the table had moved. Experiment 2 varied whether the suggestion was consistent, or inconsistent, with participants' belief in the paranormal. Results again showed that believers were more susceptible to suggestion than disbelievers, but only when the suggestion was consistent with their belief in the paranormal. Approximately one fifth of participants believed that the fake seances contained genuine paranormal phenomena.
 
I find such studies fascinating. I have read that one you mention recently. Btw, I love Google Scholar. :D
 
hallucinations

Can these be formed 'as impressions by reflected/emitted energies on specific thought, belief or physical condition'?
 
SwissSkeptic said:
People interpret the things they see in a way so it matches with their cultural and personal norms. It seems the way e.g. aliens and their machinery are described by abductees changed a great deal during the last 50 years and Hollywood had a big say in it.
Click to expand...
Could the reason for "Greys" being grey be that aliens were first sighted in black & white 1950s B-movies?
 
Mojo said:
Could the reason for "Greys" being grey be that aliens were first sighted in black & white 1950s B-movies?
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Could be. It could also originate from the infamous Roswell crash, where the bodies were supposed to wear grey suits.
 
Are Beliefs and hallucinations interdependant or interrelated? :)

Can Beliefs/psychological thinking cause release of more energies may be due to enhanced circulation?

Can Beliefs/psychological thinking can keep your blood pressure, blood sugar levels bit higher?
 
Kumar said:
Are Beliefs and hallucinations interdependant or interrelated?
Click to expand...
If you read the earlier posts in this thread you'll find some answers to this question.
Can Beliefs/psychological thinking cause release of more energies may be due to enhanced circulation?
Click to expand...
No. How would beliefs cause "enhanced circulation?"
Can Beliefs/psychological thinking can keep your blood pressure, blood sugar levels bit higher?
Click to expand...
I can't see beliefs having any effect on blood sugar (apart, of course from the belief that one is in imminent danger, which will cause release of adrenaline, but that's not the sort of belief we're talking about here: it's more of a perception). Psychological effects such as stress can have an effect on blood pressure, but again, this is not really to do with beliefs, is it?
 
Mojo said:
If you read the earlier posts in this thread you'll find some answers to this question.No. How would beliefs cause "enhanced circulation?"I can't see beliefs having any effect on blood sugar (apart, of course from the belief that one is in imminent danger, which will cause release of adrenaline, but that's not the sort of belief we're talking about here: it's more of a perception). Psychological effects such as stress can have an effect on blood pressure, but again, this is not really to do with beliefs, is it?
Click to expand...

I'd like to place an order for one of your excellent Kumar-English dictionaries, sir.
 
Mojo said:
If you read the earlier posts in this thread you'll find some answers to this question.No. How would beliefs cause "enhanced circulation?"I can't see beliefs having any effect on blood sugar (apart, of course from the belief that one is in imminent danger, which will cause release of adrenaline, but that's not the sort of belief we're talking about here: it's more of a perception). Psychological effects such as stress can have an effect on blood pressure, but again, this is not really to do with beliefs, is it?
Click to expand...

Beliefs as spritual beliefs & practices are said to increase energies in bodies. Stress, psychlogical effects, infections(if it is also one kind of stress) etc. can effect blood pressure, blood gulucose levels esp. in patients. I can't say if these can be influences in normal healthy person. Just think about radiating energies--more energies created but more lost alongwith.

Hallucinations can be in the form of dark colour shadows? How these can be black coloured? How these black shadows can be relevant of reflected/emitted energies?
 
Kumar said:
Beliefs as spritual beliefs & practices are said to increase energies in bodies.
Click to expand...
"Said to?" This is nonsense, isn't it?
Hallucinations can be in the form of dark colour shadows? How these can be black coloured? How these black shadows can be relevant of reflected/emitted energies?
Click to expand...
You're back into Johnny Nice Painter territory here.
 
PixyMisa said:
Definitely nonsense then.
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Nothing is/can be there which can't be defined in science or 'exact science'. All our brain's activities as emotions, sensations etc. should be any science or 'exact science' based. Just check & find this base of Beliefs and hallucinations.
 
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