The word 'hallucination' refers to the experience of hearing, smelling, feeling or seeing something, without there actually being anything there to hear, smell, feel or see. Hearing 'voices' when there is no one there is the commonest hallucination in schizophrenia. Voices' are heard in some other mental illnesses, but in schizophrenia they typically talk about, as well as to, the person. Visions and hallucinations of smell, taste or being touched also occur in schizophrenia, but much less often than 'voices'. Delusions are false and usually unusual beliefs, which cannot be explained by the believer's culture or changed by argument.
People talk about 'paranoid' ideas.
Everyone at work is against me'. Persecutory delusions are especially distressing for the family if they are seen as the persecutors. Delusions may come out of the blue or may start as an explanation for hallucinations or the sensation of being taken over. As a result, the person may not bother to get up or go out, may not wash or tidy up, and may never get excited or enthusiastic about anything any more. The person will tend to avoid meeting people, will say little or nothing, and may appear emotionally rather blank.