The majority of those suffering from CBS describe the duration of hallucinations to continue for up to a few minutes, multiple times a day or week.Even though people of all ages may be afflicted by Charles Bonnet syndrome, those within the age range of 70 to 80 are primarily affected. Among older adults (> 65 years) with significant vision loss, the prevalence of Charles Bonnet syndrome has been reported to be between 10% and 40%; a 2008 Australian study found the prevalence to be 17.5%. Two Asian studies, however, report a much lower prevalence. The high incidence of underreporting this disorder is the greatest hindrance to determining the exact prevalence. Underreporting is thought to be a result of sufferers being afraid to discuss the symptoms out of fear that they will be labeled of unsound mind. Pathophysiology
There is no general consensus on the definition of CBS. Predominant factors correlated with CBS are a decrease of visual acuity, visual field loss, and elderly age. While characteristic features of visual hallucinations are not specifically linked to the anatomical site of the ocular injury, they usually match to the location of visual loss. The most commonly accepted theory for Charles Bonnet Syndrome proposes that extreme visual impairment promotes sensory deafferentation, leading to disinhibition, thus resulting in sudden neural firings of the visual cortical regions. A few studies record that visual hallucinations are likely to be concentrated in the blind regions.
Margaret Atwoods short story "Torching the Dusties"
Deborah Lawrensons novel The Lantern (2011)
Gareth Brookes graphic novel A Thousand Coloured Castles (2017)
Dealt, 2017 documentary about notable card mechanic Richard Turner
The 2019 Netflix film Velvet Buzzsaw

See also
Phantom eye syndrome
Musical ear syndrome – Auditory hallucination associated with hearing loss
Ganzfeld effect – Psychological phenomenon
Hypnagogia – State of consciousness leading into sleep
Anton–Babinski syndrome

References
External links
Information on Charles Bonnet syndrome from RNIB
National Public Radio article with an audio segment about Charles Bonnet syndrome
Oliver Sacks: What hallucination reveals about our minds Archived 2013-07-08 at the Wayback Machine Ted Talk, Feb 2009. Fortean Times article on Charles Bonnet syndrome
Damn Interesting article on Charles Bonnet syndrome
W Burke (2002). "The neural basis of Charles Bonnet hallucinations: a hypothesis". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 73 (5): 535–541. doi:10.1136/jnnp.73.5.535. PMC 1738134. PMID 12397147.