More than 10 percent of healthy people hallucinate. You can likely thank dopamine
The brain chemical associated with reward also seems to distort our perceptions
I study (and sometimes take time to) sleep. My current PhD research is looking at why a lack of sleep can lead to unusual experiences such as hallucinations and paranoia. Hopefully by understanding what these mechanisms might be we can start to modify sleep treatments for those struggling with the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Your mom is right: you probably need more sleep
Burning the midnight oil is likely burning you out, more and more science suggests
Why you shouldn't believe everything your sleep tracker tells you
People who are told they slept poorly will act accordingly, even if it isn't true
1 peer comment
Why scientists are exploring sleep deprivation as a treatment for depression
With an important caveat, losing sleep appears to have significant short-term effects on depression
One great way to study brain diseases? 'Mini-brains' grown in dishes
The more complex tissue structure offers new possibilities
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Alternative medicine should be subject to scientific rigor, too
We need science, not hype, to hunt for ideas in traditional medicine
1 peer comment
Can better sleep help protect us from trauma?
A new study suggests REM sleep may make us less vulnerable to PTSD
2 peer comments