Charles Bonnet Syndrome: When You Are Aware of Having Hallucinations

History tells us that at some point in the year 1760, naturalist and writer Charles Bonnet described a strange situation with his 89-year-old grandfather. The man was almost blind in both eyes due to cataracts, but could see men, women, tapestries, buildings, and carriages in impossible situations. The man's head was impeccable for his age, so... where did those hallucinations come from? The answer is what is now known as Charles Bonnet syndrome, a condition associated with advanced visual deterioration, and which is not linked to a person's mental health.

Hallucinations can come to us in different ways. In the past we have explored the chemical vector, with the influence of substances like LSD on the brain. Another recurrent topic at NeoTeo is the horrible sleep paralysis, expressed in chilling short films, and in galleries that are not far behind.

Then there is the possibility that they are the product of progressive deterioration or specific damage to the visual system. Unreal, confusing, twisted, impossible images. People coming out of walls, animals with almost comical dimensions, objects that simply aren't there... with a small detail: You are aware of it.

Conscious hallucinations and Bonnet syndrome

The official term is "Charles Bonnet syndrome", after naturalist and writer Charles Bonnet who originally described it in 1760. People over 65 who have advanced vision loss (or are in the process of losing it) often suffer from this syndrome.

In fact, age-related macular degeneration has been highlighted as the most common cause, along with glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetes-related damage.

The syndrome surprises and terrifies at first because of the clarity of the images. According to patients, they are not vague or cloudy, but highly detailed. Most "human" appearances are complete strangers, with large eyes and teeth.

They don't blink, and they maintain "eye contact" with the patient. Some scenes can be very dramatic (reports range from funerals to dragons), and others don't cause too much stress (trees, vehicles).

Those who suffer from the syndrome must learn to live with it, a far from simple task. While they understand that the hallucinations are not real and won't harm them, let's say it's not pleasant to see unfamiliar faces in bushes, trees, and right after waking up.

One of the factors that separates people with the syndrome from those suffering from psychosis is silence. Those with Charles Bonnet decide not to share anything about their hallucinations for fear of being seen as crazy, while a psychotic person invents anything to justify their visions, without doubting their mental health.

Why does it happen?

Now, why does this happen? The strongest hypothesis suggests that the brain tries to "compensate" for the lack of visual stimulation, something very common when we observe optical illusions. Patterns and shapes that extend, colors that don't exist, straight lines that bend like magic.

Other ideas point to a similarity between Charles Bonnet syndrome and dreams. In the absence of stimuli, the visual cortex "gets bored" and seeks to "treat itself" with stored image variants. In short, the brain doesn't like voids.

Finally, there are those who believe that hallucinations are "doors to parallel worlds"... but that's another story we give no credibility to.