There are many causes of hallucinations. Some hallucinations occur naturally, such as those related to medical conditions. Prolonged exposure to the sun without ingesting adequate amounts water may cause dehydration, which is another natural cause of hallucinations. Some of the chemical causes include the use of medications, illegal drugs, or other substances that have hallucinatory properties. Sleeping too little or staying awake for extended periods of time is also a common trigger of hallucinations as well.
Many medical conditions may bring about hallucinations. Brain tumors may cause the false perceptions associated with a hallucination, and other severe illnesses such as liver or kidney failure could be the culprit as well. Mental health problems may also cause hallucinations. Schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder can both cause misinterpretations and unusual reactions to sensory input.
Taking certain types of medications may also cause hallucinations. Sleeping pills, for example, affect brain chemistry and may cause hallucinations. Inhaling significant amounts of nitrous oxide, an anesthetic frequently used by dentists, may also result in hallucinations. Other types of anesthetic gases, such as those used before surgery, may cause brief hallucinations before the individual loses consciousness.
In addition to legal medications, illegal drugs used for recreational purposes can be the cause of a hallucination. At times, a drug’s hallucinatory properties are what makes the substance attractive to recreational users. LSD, also known as acid, is one drug that people use recreationally because it causes hallucinations. People also may ingest natural substances, such as psilocybin-containing mushrooms and peyote cactus, for their hallucinatory properties. Some legal drugs that are not used for medical purposes can cause similar effects as well, including salvia divinorum.
Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause dehydration, which may cause hallucinations. Electrolytes are electrically charged ions found in water that are essential for nerve conduction, and a lack of water causes decreased electrolytes in the body. If the body has low levels of electrolytes, nerve impulses cannot travel properly to and from the brain, causing the brain to misinterpret sensory information.
An extended period featuring little or no sleep is also one of the common causes of hallucinations. The brain requires sleep to function properly, and when deprived of the amount of rest it requires, the brain’s performance significantly diminishes. Hallucinations and delusions are not uncommon for those suffering with sleep deprivation because the brain simply cannot function at its normal performance level.