Sensory deprivation causes the brain to generate hallucinations
Evidence from psychological studies, clinical observations of conditions like Charles Bonnet syndrome, and computational neural network models consistently supports the conclusion that sensory deprivation can cause the brain to generate hallucinations.
The retrieved papers provide robust support for the claim. Papers [1] and [2] demonstrate that short-term sensory deprivation increases psychotic-like experiences and perceptual distortions in humans. Papers [3] and [7] provide computational models explaining how attenuation of sensory input drives neural networks into hallucinatory states. Paper [10] details Charles Bonnet syndrome, wherein visual deafferentation leads to complex visual hallucinations. No papers refute the claim.
Daniel C, Lovatt A, Mason OJ. Psychotic-like experiences and their cognitive appraisal under short-term sensory deprivation.. 2014. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00106
Short-term sensory deprivation increases psychotic-like experiences and perceptual distortions.
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Eugene Ziskind, Theodore Augsburg. Hallucinations in Sensory Deprivation—Method or Madness?. 1962. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.137.3534.992
Observations indicate that visual imagery similar to hallucinations arises during restricted sensory input.
Aviv Dotan, Oren Shriki. Tinnitus-like “hallucinations” elicited by sensory deprivation in an entropy maximization recurrent neural network. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008664
Computational modeling shows that input attenuation drives neural networks into states that resemble hallucinations.
Aviv Dotan, Oren Shriki. Tinnitus-like “hallucinations” elicited by sensory deprivation in an entropy maximization recurrent neural network. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.11.426188
Attenuating peripheral inputs in neural models leads to spontaneous activity that functions as auditory hallucinations.
Altieri E, Battaglini L. Beyond Hyperexcitability: A Review of Neural Mechanisms in Charles Bonnet Syndrome.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci7020031
Charles Bonnet syndrome demonstrates that visual deafferentation leads to complex visual hallucinations in individuals.
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