Hallucinations: Managing them and sharing the story

While neuroscientists are discovering more and more about the inner workings of the human brain, many mysteries remain. One is the nature of hallucinations, whether they manifest themselves as comforting or scary, as audio, vusual or tactile sensations.

Northwestern University psychology major Katie Sanford, graduating this year, has been managing hallucinations and her schizoaffective disorder with medication and self-awareness since high school. Her support network includes the Northwestern equestrian team where she is an avid horsewoman. Katie openly shares her experiences as a way of helping others. Her hallucinations have run the gamut from auditory to visual to tactile, and can be both scary and comforting for her, she says.