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How much of what you see is a hallucination? - Elizabeth Cox

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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.


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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Elizabeth Cox
  • Director Alessandro Durando
  • Narrator Susan Zimmerman
  • Compositor Alessandro Durando
  • Art Director Alessandro Durando
  • Animator Alessandro Durando, Giacomo D'Ancona, Silvia Bassoli, Dalila Rovazzani, Riccardo Chiara, Milena Tipaldo
  • Storyboard Artist Giacomo D'Ancona, Silvia Bassoli
  • Character Designer Giacomo D'Ancona, Silvia Bassoli
  • Composer Smider
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott, Elizabeth Cox
  • Fact-Checker Laura Shriver
Additional Resources for you to Explore
To learn more about Charles Bonnet Syndrome, click here.

To find out what it’s like to live with Charles Bonnet Syndrome, watch this interview.

What do hallucinations reveal about our minds? Check out this TED video to learn more.

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Elizabeth Cox
  • Director Alessandro Durando
  • Narrator Susan Zimmerman
  • Compositor Alessandro Durando
  • Art Director Alessandro Durando
  • Animator Alessandro Durando, Giacomo D'Ancona, Silvia Bassoli, Dalila Rovazzani, Riccardo Chiara, Milena Tipaldo
  • Storyboard Artist Giacomo D'Ancona, Silvia Bassoli
  • Character Designer Giacomo D'Ancona, Silvia Bassoli
  • Composer Smider
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott, Elizabeth Cox
  • Fact-Checker Laura Shriver

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