A condition called Charles Bonnet Syndrome can cause blind patients to hallucinate scenes in vivid color. fMRI studies show that these hallucinations activate the same brain areas as sight — areas that are not activated by imagination. Other hallucinations also involve the same brain areas as real sensory experiences. What's going on? Elizabeth Cox details the science of hallucinations. [TED-Ed Animation by Nerdo]. 

Elizabeth Cox: What causes hallucinations?

What causes hallucinations?

Charles Bonnet Syndrome reveals the brain's patchwork reality, filling vision loss with vivid hallucinations, a mystery of perception.

Exploring hallucinations offers a window into the brain's storytelling prowess, turning sensory gaps into elaborate perceptual narratives.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome vividly illustrates how blind individuals can 'see' hallucinations, revealing brain's compensatory powers.