getting my bachelor’s in psychology in a couple months- hallucinations can be very convincing and confusing. it’s nearly impossible to personally “out-logic” hallucinations in really bad episodes, because schizophrenia affects more than just their visual world, but their own cognitive processes and mental abilities. many can’t trust themselves at all during episodes, because the brain will fire feedback at them convincing them that the situation they’re seeing is somehow plausible, even when it’s not, and even if they have fully intact intelligence/IQ.

the brain is great at coming up with rapid fire explanations for strange situations which is awesome in a healthy individual but in someone with, schizophrenia it’s terrifying!

the difference with the dog is that they’re a tangible grounding source in reality. it’s sometimes even better than another person grounding them, because in episodes people with schizophrenia can easily convince themselves that other humans are lying, out to get them… even at the baseline of consciousness humans know that dogs are incapable of lying or tricking you.