Psychotic Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Delusions are erroneous beliefs that involve a misinterpretation of perceptions or experiences that a person strongly believes despite obvious evidence to the contrary. Persecutory delusions are the most common form of delusions; they may involve, for example, the belief that one is being tormented, followed, tricked, spied on, or ridiculed.  Other common delusions include the belief that others can read one’s mind, delusions of guilt and sin, religious delusions, and grandiose delusions. 

In addition, delusions may take the form of :

• ideas of reference - the belief that the actions of others are directed at oneself (e.g., when a person hears people laughing and assumes they are laughing at him or her)
• referential delusions - the belief that comments or passages from books, newspapers, or song lyrics are specifically directed at the person
• thought insertion - the belief that thoughts are being implanted into a person's mind by other people or forces
• thought broadcasting - the belief that a person's thoughts can be heard by others (i.e., as if broadcast over the air)
• thought control - the belief that a person's thoughts are being controlled by other people or forces

Finally, the DSM-IV-TR notes that delusions may be designated as bizarre delusions when they are clearly implausible, such as the belief that one’s thoughts have been taken away by an outside force or have been put into the mind by an alien force.