Visual hallucinations induced by Ganzflicker and Ganzfeld differ in frequency, complexity, and content.

ABSTRACT: Visual hallucinations can be phenomenologically divided into those of a simple or complex nature. Both simple and complex hallucinations can occur in pathological and non-pathological states, and can also be induced experimentally by visual stimulation or deprivation-for example using a high-frequency, eyes-open flicker (Ganzflicker) and perceptual deprivation (Ganzfeld). Here we leverage the differences in visual stimulation that these two techniques involve to investigate the role of bottom-up and top-down processes in shifting the complexity of visual hallucinations, and to assess whether these techniques involve a shared underlying hallucinatory mechanism despite their differences. For each technique, we measured the frequency and complexity of the hallucinations produced, utilising bu

SUBMITTER: Shenyan O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10825158 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature