During a mental status examination, what type of experiences do hallucinations refer to?

Hallucinations are defined as sensory experiences that occur without any external stimuli present. This means individuals experiencing hallucinations perceive sensations such as sounds, sights, tastes, smells, or feelings that are not actually happening in the environment around them. For example, a person might hear voices or see figures that others do not perceive at all. This phenomenon can occur in various mental health conditions, including schizophrenia and severe mood disorders.

The other options reflect different psychological phenomena that do not pertain to hallucinations. Altered emotional states encompass a range of feelings and moods rather than sensory experiences. Misinterpretations of real stimuli pertain to perceptual distortions rooted in actual external information, while delusions of grandeur involve firmly held beliefs about one’s excessively high self-worth or power, which do not involve sensory misperception. Thus, the correct answer accurately captures the essence of hallucinations as perceptions arising in the absence of external stimuli.