A patient mentions, almost in passing, seeing something that wasn't there. Before revealing the answer, decide how you would establish whether this was a pseudohallucination.

Ask where the experience seems to be happening: "Does it feel like it's out here in the room with you, or more like it's inside your head?" Ask whether the person can tell, in the moment, that it isn't real — this insight is one of the more useful distinguishing questions in a busy assessment. Take particular care with children and people with certain forms of learning disability, who may describe a vivid inner experience using language that sounds identical to a true hallucination.