Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now A Northern Ireland woman with a rare condition has admitted that she's looking forward to going completely blind so that her disturbing and terrifying hallucinations will finally stop. Elaine Macgougan suffers from Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS), a neurological condition that causes people with sight loss to experience vivid hallucinations. These hallucinations are not a sign of mental illness but rather a result of the brain's attempt to compensate for the loss of visual input.
CBS hallucinations can be complex and detailed, often involving people, animals, or objects or they can also manifest as shapes or patterns. READ MORE: 'I can enjoy the match' - Blind NI football fan hails new audio service READ MORE: Visually impaired commuter's concern over 'silent' Grand Central Station Elaine, 64 and from Belfast, has lived with sight loss since birth and as time has passed and her eyesight has continued to worsen, the effects of CBS have gotten progressively worse. Having lost sight in her left eye, she now has only 15% vision in her right eye.
She said she looks forward to the day when she loses her sight completely so she “won’t have to deal with hallucinations”. Ms Macgougan said: “It will be a relief. I can get on with the rest of my life without the CBS getting in the way, without the stress of having to second guess everything I see.
Now I have so little eyesight.
