NCBISkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationResourcesHowToAboutNCBIAccesskeysMyNCBISignintoNCBISignOutJournalListIndPsychiatryJv.18(1);Jan-Jun2009PMC3016695IndPsychiatryJ.2009Jan-Jun;18(1):3–18.doi: 10.4103/0972-6748.57851PMCID:PMC3016695PMID:21234155UnderstandingdelusionsChandraKiranandSuprakashChaudhuryChandraKiranDepartmentofPsychiatry,RanchiInstituteofNeuropsychiatryandAlliedSciences,Kanke,Ranchi-834006,Jharkhand,IndiaFindarticlesbyChandraKiranSuprakashChaudhuryDepartmentofPsychiatry,RanchiInstituteofNeuropsychiatryandAlliedSciences,Kanke,Ranchi-834006,Jharkhand,IndiaFindarticlesbySuprakashChaudhuryAuthorinformationCopyrightandLicenseinformationDisclaimerDepartmentofPsychiatry,RanchiInstituteofNeuropsychiatryandAlliedSciences,Kanke,Ranchi-834006,Jharkhand,IndiaAddressforcorrespondence:Dr.SuprakashChaudhury,DepartmentofPsychiatry,RanchiInstituteofNeuropsychiatryandAlliedSciences,Kanke,Ranchi-834006,Jharkhand,India.E-mail:moc.liamg@hchsakarpusCopyright©IndustrialPsychiatryJournalThisisanopen-accessarticledistributedunderthetermsoftheCreativeCommonsAttributionLicense,whichpermitsunrestricteduse,distribution,andreproductioninanymedium,providedtheoriginalworkisproperlycited.ThisarticlehasbeencitedbyotherarticlesinPMC.Delusionhasalwaysbeenacentraltopicforpsychiatricresearchwithregardtoetiology,pathogenesis,diagnosis,treatment,andforensicrelevance.Thevarioustheoriesandexplanationsfordelusionformationarereviewed.Theetiology,classificationandmanagementofdelusionsarebrieflydiscussed.Recentadvancesinthefieldarereviewed.Keywords:Delusions,Etiology,Psychopathology,Phenomenology“Thereisnodelusionalideaheldbythementallyillwhichcannotbeexceededinitsabsurditybytheconvictionoffanatics,eitherindividuallyorenmasse”…HocheAdelusionisabeliefthatisclearlyfalseandthatindicatesanabnormalityintheaffectedperson’scontentofthought.Thefalsebeliefisnotaccountedforbytheperson’sculturalorreligiousbackgroundorhisorherlevelofintelligence.Thekeyfeatureofadelusionisthedegreetowhichthepersonisconvincedthatt