Delusion and illusion

Question

I would like to understand the difference, in the following sentences, between delusion and illusion

he suffers from the delusion that the less he smokes, the less he will want to smoke...
It is essential that we remove all the illusions about smoking...

Benita · Accepted Answer

While both 'delusion' and 'illusion' both mean 'false belief', 'illusion' is used more with the meaning 'wrongly supposed to exist'.

1. He falsely believes that the less he smokes, the less he will want to smoke.

2. It is essential that we remove all the false beliefs that do not exist about smoking.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Perhaps a helpful way to look at 'delusion' is to say that it focusses more on false beliefs that arise from the mind of the person who holds them. That's why in extreme cases, we consider a person who 'suffers from delusions' to be mentally ill.

Best wishes,

Clive

Eimai_Anglos · Answer

Examples:

Because of the LSD drug, John was under the delusion that the elephant was pink.

Because of the magician's clever use of mirrors, John was under the illusion that the elephant was pink.

Paco2004 · Answer

[url=http://www.sandlotscience.com/EyeonIllusions/whatisanillusion.htm]Illusion-Hallucination-Delusion[/url]

Illusions are different from both hallucinations and delusions. Illusions are misperceptions that are perceived by most people, and are based on a specific stimulus received under certain conditions. Some experiments with animals indicate that several species of mammals and birds are "fooled" by illusions in much the same way we are.

Hallucinations are usually seen by only one individual. Most often they are experienced by people who suffer from specific kinds of mental illness, or who are influenced by drugs or extreme amounts of alcohol. Hallucinations are false perceptions that occur in the absence of appropriate external stimuli, whereas illusions are misinterpretations of external stimuli that are, in fact, present.

Delusions are different from both illusions and hallucinations. They are beliefs, not perceptions. Like hallucinations, they tend to be found in people who are mentally ill. A person may have delusions of grandeur (believing that he or she is a very important or famous person) or delusions of persecution (believing someone or something is out to harm them) when the facts clearly do not support these beliefs.

Manosmaster · Answer

Thank you to you all. It's now clear to me the difference. So if I understood well, delusion is more individual (pathologic or not) and illusion is more general (as a legend or a chimera)

Eimai_Anglos · Answer

Yes, I stand corrected. Paco got it right.

Domo arigato gozaimasu.

Sumimasen.

Delusion and illusion

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