Sensory deprivation causes the brain to generate hallucinations
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 83/100
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.
Evidence for · 5
Psychotic-like experiences and their cognitive appraisal under short-term sensory deprivation.
2014 · cited by 16
Short-term sensory deprivation increases psychotic-like experiences and perceptual distortions.
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More for · 4
Hallucinations in Sensory Deprivation—Method or Madness?
1962 · cited by 15
Observations indicate that visual imagery similar to hallucinations arises during restricted sensory input.
Tinnitus-like “hallucinations” elicited by sensory deprivation in an entropy maximization recurrent neural network
2021 · cited by 11
Computational modeling shows that input attenuation drives neural networks into states that resemble hallucinations.
Tinnitus-like “hallucinations” elicited by sensory deprivation in an entropy maximization recurrent neural network
2021 · cited by 1
Attenuating peripheral inputs in neural models leads to spontaneous activity that functions as auditory hallucinations.
Beyond Hyperexcitability: A Review of Neural Mechanisms in Charles Bonnet Syndrome.
2026 · cited by 0
Charles Bonnet syndrome demonstrates that visual deafferentation leads to complex visual hallucinations in individuals.