Dreams and hallucinations are both times when your brain makes up pictures or stories that aren’t real, like when you imagine a dragon flying over your bed or see a cookie monster in the hallway.
Dreams happen when you're asleep. Your eyes might be closed, and you’re cozy under your blanket. You might feel like you’re running through a forest or talking to a giant robot, but only in your head. When you wake up, it all goes away, like a toy that stops moving when the batteries run out.
Hallucinations, on the other hand, happen when you're awake. Your eyes are open, and you might be sitting at the table eating breakfast. But suddenly, you see a cat walking across your plate, even though there's no cat there! It’s like when you think your toy is talking to you while you’re playing.
Both dreams and hallucinations use your brain’s imagination, but one happens while you're sleeping, and the other happens when you're wide awake.
Examples
- Dreams are like watching a movie in your head when you're asleep. Hallucinations feel like that same movie shows up during math class.
- Dreams might be about flying pigs, while hallucinations could make you see floating jellyfish in the hallway.
- Dreams happen at night, hallucinations can occur anytime, even when you’re eating breakfast.
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See also
- Why Do We Dream in Color, But Remember in Black and White?
- What Is the Purpose of Dreams?
- How Does Dreams Are Weird. Here’s Why. Work?
- How Does To Sleep, Perchance to Dream: Crash Course Psychology #9 Work?
- Why Do Shapes Appear When You Blink?
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