What are referential hallucinations?

A referential hallucination is when someone talks about things that don’t exist, like pretending a toy is alive and talking to it, even though no one else can hear it.

Imagine you're playing with your favorite teddy bear. You tell it stories, ask it questions, and say it answers back. That's normal, we all do it sometimes! But if you start telling other kids at school that the teddy bear is talking to them too, and they can't see or hear it, then that’s a referential hallucination.

Sometimes, people's brains get confused. They might think things are real when they’re not, like believing a friend is sending messages through the wall, even though no one else hears them.

It's kind of like if you thought your backpack was talking to you during math class, and you kept whispering back to it. You know it’s just your backpack, but your brain thinks it’s real!

People with referential hallucinations often feel like they're being understood by things that aren’t really there, it can be comforting or confusing, depending on the day.