11 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)
Not answering the question really but I haven't seen it mentioned and it may be interesting; look up Charles Bonnet syndrome.
Essentially when someone has severe sight loss (when they used to be sighted) the brain can fill in the gaps and cause hallucinations. It often happens in older people with macular degeneration (ARMD) and they are often afraid to say anything in case people think they're 'going mad'. Patients with ARMD are often warned it could be a side effect and they shouldn't be overly concerned about it.
Comment by caffa4 at 04/02/2025 at 22:53 UTC
8 upvotes, 0 direct replies
This also happens in extreme sleep deprivation. Your brain basically let’s some of the neural pathways from your eyes “sleep” even though you’re still awake, particularly in the peripheral vision as they’re deemed “less important” at that moment, so your brain fills in the gaps which causes hallucinations (the classic shadow people, for example)
Comment by Space_2000V at 04/02/2025 at 22:44 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Unfortunately, many eye doctors do not recognize the syndrome unless a person has completely lost their vision. I had a significant problem with this and getting a diagnosis. It is possible to eliminate hallucinations with medication.