Understanding Charles Bonnet Syndrome

5. Features of CBS Hallucinations

The features of hallucinations can vary widely from one episode to the next and from one person to the next. For example, the images may be color or black and white. They may appear static, like a photograph, or moving, like an event in real life, and they may be life-sized or reduced in size. In addition, the subject may be something realistic (animals from the real world) or fantastic (mythological monsters). The hallucinations may be brief (a few minutes) or lengthy (a few hours). People may see images that are enjoyable, like a pleasant dream, or frightening, like a nightmare. They may experience meaningless and random images or see familiar people or places, and the hallucinations may be different every time or may always contain the same things.