Is it charles bonnet syndrome or imagination

Charles Bonnet Syndrome hallucinations

Some people with sight loss experience visual hallucinations because of problems with their eyesight; this is known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Many worry unnecessarily that there is something wrong with their mind.

Hallucinations can occur because of sight loss, mainly through macular degeneration. Understanding these hallucinations are a natural experience, not a sign of any mental illness, is essential. When hallucinations happen due to sight loss, they are known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome after an 18th-century Swiss scientist and philosopher who first described the condition.

Up to half of all people with macular degeneration are thought to experience Charles Bonnet Syndrome hallucinations, sometimes referred to as CBS. Visual hallucinations are more likely to occur if both eyes are affected by sight loss. The hallucinations often start after a decline in vision.

What do these hallucinations look like?

Charles Bonnet Syndrome hallucinations can be simple unformed flashes of light, colours or shapes. However, many people see more elaborate forms such as geometrical grids and lattices. Some people report seeing disembodied faces with staring eyes, landscaped gardens or vistas, animals, people, or processions of miniature costumed figures wearing hats.