Specifically, a delusion of grandeur is a person's belief that they are someone other than who they are, such as a supernatural figure or a celebrity ...WhatAreDelusionsofGrandeur?MedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,Ph.D.,CRNP—WrittenbyChaunieBrusie—UpdatedonJune27,2017TypesIdentifyingthemGettinghelpTakeawayOverviewAdelusionisafalsebeliefheldbyaperson.Itcontradictsrealityorwhatiscommonlyconsideredtrue.Thestrengthofadelusionisbasedonhowmuchthepersonbelievesit.Specifically,adelusionofgrandeurisaperson’sbeliefthattheyaresomeoneotherthanwhotheyare,suchasasupernaturalfigureoracelebrity.Adelusionofgrandeurmayalsobeabeliefthattheyhavespecialabilities,possessions,orpowers.Delusionsaregenerallytheresultofamentalhealthdisorder.However,notallpeoplewithdelusionsmeetthefulldiagnosticcriteriaforanymentalhealthdisorder.Manytypesofmentalhealthdisordersclassifiedaspsychoticdisorderscanleadtodelusions.Theseinclude:schizophreniabipolardisorderdementiadeliriummajordepressivedisorderwithpsychoticfeaturesPsychoticdisorderscanchangeaperson’ssenseofreality.Theymaybeunabletotellwhatisrealandwhatisnot.TypesofdelusionsofgrandeurAnydelusionhasfourmaincharacteristics:Thepersonhavingthebeliefbelievesittobetrue,evenwhentheexistingnormandotherpeopleknowittobeuntrue.Thepersonhavingthedelusionwillnotlistentoanyotherviewpointsaboutthebeliefandwillnotconsiderchangewhenevidencechallengesthedelusion.Thecontentofthedelusionisimpossibleorimplausible.Thedelusionimpactstheperson’sdailylife.Delusionsofgrandeurcantakemanyforms,suchasbeliefsof:Havingaspecialability,object,ortalentThepersonwiththedelusionmaybelievethattheyhaveasecrettalent,object,orabilitythatnooneelsehasorevenknowsabout.Forexample,theymaybelievetheypossessasecretrecordfromElvisPresleythatnooneelseknowsabout.BeingafamouspersonApersonwithadelusionofgrandeurmayactuallybelievethattheyareafamouspersonandthattherealfamouspersonisanimposterordecoy.HavingasecretconnectionThisdelusioninvolvesbelievinginaspecialandsometimessecretconnectionorrelationshipwit