Understanding a Strange Phenomenon : Lilliputian Hallucinations

Lilliputian hallucinations are infrequent but reported in a variety of states ranging from toxic metabolic states, medical, neurological and psychiatric conditions. We report three cases with different psychiatric diagnoses all presenting with vivid Lilliputian hallucinations. An attempt to apply the current biological mechanisms that explain complex visual hallucinations to Lilliputian hallucinations is made. The phenomenon of size constancy and a functional break between the visual cortex and association cortices explains the phenomena of micropsia, a sensory distortion. We propose whether this principle could also determine the form of hallucinations and produce Lilliputian hallucination (German J Psychiatry 2007; 10: 21-24).

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