GMAT Exam  >  GMAT Questions  >  The generally agreed upon definition of hallu... Start Learning for Free
The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.
In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action. 
The author is primarily concerned with
  • a)
    Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.
  • b)
    Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon. 
  • c)
    Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations. 
  • d)
    Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary. 
  • e)
    Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions. 
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they ar...
Passage Analysis
Summary and Main Point
Pre-Thinking
This is a Main Idea question. The correct answer must be broad enough to encompass all the content of the passage without veering outside the scope. 
Answer Choices
A
Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.
Incorrect: Out of Scope
The author does differentiate hallucinations from one phenomenon (illusions), but we are never told whether illusion is a form of disorder. Hence, this part of the choice cannot be justified: Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders.
B
Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon. 
Correct
This choice corrects the error noted in the above choice and is on the same lines as our pre-thought main point noted in the summary section.
C
Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations. 
Incorrect: Out of Scope
The author does mention that the theory has limited applicability, but he/she never delves in to why it doesn't provide full insight. Also, this choice completely ignored the relevance of the first paragraph in the passage.
D
Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary. 
Incorrect: Inconsistent
First of all, this choice does not mention anything about the difference mentioned between hallucinations and illusions. Secondly, and more importantly, the author talks about how a particular theory explains hallucinations in specific circumstances that are not ordinary. This choice says the exact opposite.
E
Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions. 
Incorrect: Partial scope
This choice covers the scope of only the second paragraph. There is no mention of the function of the paragraph in the passage.
 
 
Attention GMAT Students!
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed GMAT study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in GMAT.
Explore Courses for GMAT exam

Top Courses for GMAT

The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? for GMAT 2024 is part of GMAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the GMAT exam syllabus. Information about The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for GMAT 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for GMAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for GMAT Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice The generally agreed upon definition of hallucinations is that they are actually perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus of the relevant sensory organ. These perceptions are accompanied by a persuasive sense of their reality. Hallucinations are not to be confused with illusions, which are misinterpretations of actual external stimuli. In other words, in the case of a hallucination, for a person hallucinating a sound for instance, the sound actually exists, but in reality it exists nowhere but in the person’s mind; however, in the case of an illusion the stimulus that caused the illusion does exist in the real world. Although hallucinations are a key diagnostic feature of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others, they can occur in individuals devoid of any physical or mental disorder.In order to understand why people hallucinate, some researchers have been studying people suffering from what is called the phantom limb syndrome, a condition in which people who have undergone amputation feel as though the missing body part were still very much present and attached to the body; for instance, it is not uncommon for a person who has lost a leg to unknowingly try to stand and walk without any external support after their surgery. One of the two main hypotheses behind the phantom limb syndrome offers an explanation that is possibly applicable to why people hallucinate in certain circumstances. As per this theory, the brain is programmed for a body where every body part is intact and in the appropriate place. Accordingly, when some signals go missing, because of the missing body part, the brain compensates for the lack of sensory input by triggering spontaneous nerve cell activity. Although this theory has limited applicability for understanding why patients such as those of schizophrenia hallucinate in conditions not deemed out of the ordinary, it is a step forward in understanding why people experience visual or auditory hallucinations when they are placed in solitary confinements; after all the different areas of the brain that were used to receiving signals through the senses start to stimulate themselves in to action.The author is primarily concerned witha)Differentiating hallucinations from other forms of disorders and discussing the relevance of a theory.b)Discussing the relevance of a proposed hypothesis while defining hallucination and differentiating it from another phenomenon.c)Explaining why a theory does not provide full insight in to the circumstances leading upto hallucinations.d)Defining hallucination by citing a unanimously agreed upon definition and providing insight into why hallucinations take place in circumstances not regarded out of the ordinary.e)Elaborating on a theory that deals with a phenomenon that is triggered by circumstances not dissimilar to hallucinations in certain conditions.Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice GMAT tests.
Explore Courses for GMAT exam

Top Courses for GMAT

Explore Courses
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev