A few weeks ago I read Dr Oliver Sacks's latest book, "Hallucinations", in which he talks about the many ways in which we hallucinate & the conditions that cause them.
Most of course, were visual hallucinations. When we hear the word hallucination, we do think in visual terms. But there are also hallucinations for the other senses as well. The most well known is that of hearing voices. For the most part people don't admit to hearing voices as we think that is a sign of madness - something that is reinforced by the media & popular culture.
Sacks tells us that that is not always the case & if anything, madness is the least usual explanation.
It seems that hearing voices can frequently occur in the state between sleep & fully being awake.
Yesterday morning as I awoke, I heard a voice say a word. It was a hallucination.
The word?
"Pizzeria"
(Oliver Sacks with book)
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