The Arabic word halwasa is used when perception begins to blur.
Translated as hallucination, its formal use is often in medical contexts, describing perceptions that are not grounded in reality.
But in everyday speech, halwasa can often be deployed in moments of strain or severe exhaustion, or when someone is experiencing sudden shock and may be described as “hallucinating”. In these cases, the word is less about diagnosis and more about explanation, accompanying a sense of feeling dazed by the enormity of a situation.
Halwasa is commonly used to make sense of behaviour that appears irrational or disconnected. A person who speaks incoherently, jumps to unfounded conclusions or misreads a situation may be dismissed as being in a state of halwasa. The tone is usually pragmatic rather than cruel, as a way to explain behaviour that does not seem reasonable.
Halwasa is also used almost as a hedging word instead of accusing someone of lying. Instead, it is used to acknowledge that perception can be faulty.
More recently, the word, like its English counterpart, has been used in discussions around emerging technology.
Arabic speakers now use the word when warning against the inherent hallucinations of AI systems, reflecting unease about information and claims that sound authoritative without verification.
Plain and used to describe or excuse unordinary behaviour, halwasa reminds us how both the mind and machines can misfire, despite best intentions.
