The Stuff that Dreams Are Made on: The Case of Peduncular Hallucinosis

This study describes five patients with the syndrome of peduncular hallucinosis (PH): hallucinations that occur after lesions in the rostral pons, midbrain, or diencephalon — caused in these cases by acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.

The hallucinations were primarily visual, or both visual and auditory, and consisted of vivid scenes that involved people, animals, or objects experienced in the present. Each patient had several distinct hallucinated events. They were more likely to occur in the evening or at night but also occurred during the day. Each hallucination lasted several minutes, and some recurred over days to months. The emotional reactions were strong and appropriate to the experienced event. All patients believed in the realit…