The Elicitation of Visual Hallucinations via Brief Instructions in a Normal Sample

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Abstract
College students tested in groups were given brief suggestions either to see or to imagine a kitten. Subjects responded twice, with with eyes open and once with eyes closed. They rated the duration, transparency and vividness of their imagery and their involvement in and belief in the reality of their imaginings under both eye closure conditions. Imagine suggestions elicited imagery of longer duration than see suggestions. Although subjects reported longer, more vivid and less transparent imagery with their eyes closed, this effect was dependent on the order of eye closure (i.e., whether the eyes closed instruction preceded or followed the eyes open instruction). The 3 dimensions of imagery intercorrelated and each dimension correlated with subjects'' degree of involvement in and belief in their imaginings. A minority of subjects given the see and imagine suggestions reported believing that their imaginings were real events during the suggestion period. Belief in imaginings was the only variable that correlated with hypnotic susceptibility. Hallucinations (i.e., believed-in imaginings) can be elicited from a minority of normal subjects with brief instructions.

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