Hallucinations are another frequent element of horror, blending imagination with reality, or the spiritual with the physical realm, making us wonder what’s what and if we have gone mad. Alike Intrusive Thoughts & Feelings, although potentially worse, they can be horrifying or point to something horrific.
CAUTION!
If you experience hallucinations in a recurrent and persistent manner, especially tormenting ones, please seek help from qualified professionals as soon as possible. They should examine them and get to the root of them so that they will cease.
But what are hallucinations, really? Hallucinations, whether visual or auditory, are the product of one’s imagination superimposed onto one’s reality. You see things that are not there and hear things that nobody else can hear. Confusing and frightening, indeed. More so if you have a scary mind filled with horrors. You may find yourself startled by sudden appearances or looking over your shoulder upon being whispered to. It may be faint, catching only brief and subtle glimpses of what could be. Or quite the contrary, they can be so pervasive that they become an integral part of a moment, a period, or of your entire life. They may be clear and loud, making it almost impossible for you to discern whether it’s real or not unless you take extra measures to make sure.
Should you be concerned? While not the norm, hallucinations are not exceptionally rare. Particularly under heavy drugs or stress, they’re a common occurrence. You’re not necessarily being haunted or suffering a major illness. But it’s understandable to be reluctant to share about them with others as your sanity and the safety of those around you will be questioned.
Why do they happen? Hallucinations, both visual and auditory, may be a product of repressed or scarring memories, albeit morphed. They may also be poor coping mechanisms after suffering loss or while enduring lack. Furthermore, it might simply be the brain malfunctioning because it is overstimulated or because it requires rest. Drugs, medicinal or recreational, can also mess with your brain functions. Severely stressful situations can cause short-circuiting, too. Being actively exposed to impactful images and sounds can leave you on repeat. Hallucinations are also a symptom of serious mental illnesses that should be properly tended to. It could also be one of the Symptoms of Consuming Too Much Horror.
While hallucinations are mainly visual, as if perceived through sight, and auditory, as if perceived through hearing, they can also manifest through other channels, as if coming from other senses. E.g. Something just touched your arm or the scent of a familiar perfume fills the atmosphere, although that’s not the case. Perhaps you savor a foul taste despite your mouth being empty and clean. Much like intrusive thoughts and feelings, though with the difference that hallucinations seem to occur outside of you instead, they can be neutral or even positive - but also concerning. And they can range widely in terms of form and content: violent, eerie, dooming, etc.
While this doesn’t discard the possibility of extrasensory abilities being present in certain humans and the existence of more than most humans can immediately perceive and interpret, there is a high chance that hallucinations crept in. So, watch out for them.
Have you ever mixed imagination with reality?