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Help Diagnosing Visual/tactile Hallucination

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Someone near and dear to me has suffered from a very specific visual hallucination for a few years now and it has recently become severe enough to interfere with their ability to function normally.

At this point I'm past any questioning of the authenticity...there's no chance it could be an attention ploy or a lie of any kind. Whatever is or isn't there - they see it.

They frequently see a specific hallucination of a young girl, dark and partly decomposed. She follows her, haunts her. Sometimes she'll harmlessly be sitting in a corner, observing - other times she'll be assertive and startling. The image of the girl alone terrifies this person but is somewhat familiar to them now.

As it now interferes with their ability to function because it sends them into terror ridden seclusion, curled up into the fetal position and crying, they want to seek help but are afraid and clueless.

It doesn't really seem to fit into any specific mental problem I can find. The trouble is that these hallucinations move into not only sight, but TOUCH. They'll reach for a light switch and graze her hair, looking down to scream and run to their room, terrified. At times she'll forcefull grab them quickly only to give a menacing stare after startling her. Strangely enough, auditory hallucinations aren't experienced at all.

What could this possibly be? I've no question in my mind whatever this is, they believe it exists 100%. They are aware it's in their mind, aware it's a hallucination and in some way feel a twisted fear that if it stops, they'll almost miss her.

I figured I'd ask here because they do have more than a few symptoms of paranoid schizophrenic behavior.
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replied July 6th, 2007
Experienced User
I had severe hallucinations of devil children staring at me and wanting to beat me up. This was part of a psychotic attack of some sort connected with me not working (the devil wanted me to work). You've got to ask whether the child is connected to any demands or problems. Maybe there's a primary cause that your friend can eliminate.
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replied July 7th, 2007
Experienced User
Suggestion
let me begin with the disclaimer that many say i am delusional. i am actually achizotypal, not schizophrenic, which means i know the difference between my visions and reality. i have all the same visions. i say its shamanism - the dreamer controls the dream, not the dream the dreamer.

so here's what i do:

summon this ghost. to a central, prepared ritual area of some kind. non-denominational, whatever, you can invent the ritual, the more powerful is the more clever and lofty.

sit the ghost down. bathe it, dress it inwhite, feed it. feed it well - 'cause that's usually the issue - anyway, then, read and teach the statutes of mystery metropolis:

1) do not leave and enter at odd hours, collide with the living, wantonly go among people, continuously create havoc, cause people to have strange dreams and imaginings, or upset the multitude of harmonies. only pray that all spirits of darkness be easy at heart and receive salvation.

2) do not join alien demons and outside ghosts in exhorting food and drink, throwing sand, or casting stones, thereby creating terror among the living.

3) do not wrongly bring pestilence and epidemic into the world, infecting good citizens and causing people to be sick and ill, and becoming a worry for their friends and relatives.

4) do not restrain or obstruct landholders, hindering their sowing and planting, or forcefully occupy in their forests, trees, flowers, and fruits, hiding and concealing yourself to avoid the rightful rent to be paid to heaven.

5) do not wrongly create commotion in the four directions, set fire and burn down peoples homes, and lodges, damage and diminsih their wealth and property, or otherwise destroy a family's estate.

6) ...

there's more. up to ten. i have to go . email me.
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