What causes hallucinations?

4,985,394 plays|

Elizabeth Cox |

TED-Ed

• June 2018

A condition called Charles Bonnet Syndrome can cause blind patients to hallucinate scenes in vivid color. fMRI studies show that these hallucinations activate the same brain areas as sight — areas that are not activated by imagination. Other hallucinations also involve the same brain areas as real sensory experiences. What's going on? Elizabeth Cox details the science of hallucinations. [TED-Ed Animation by Nerdo].