A delusion of control is the false yet firm belief that someone or something is controlling the person suffering from the delusion. The control can include not just the affected person's actions, but also his thoughts and feelings. For instance, a person might believe that his local or national government is controlling his actions or that spiritual beings have control over his limbs. He may even believe the beings in control of him can listen to his thoughts and watch him no matter where he goes or what he does.
When a person has delusions of control, he typically believes his thoughts, movements, or words are not his own. An individual who is suffering from this type of delusion usually believes a person, a being, a group of people or beings, an organization, or a device is in control of him and that his will is not completely his own. For example, he might believe an alien device is causing him to move a certain way or take particular actions, or that evil beings are planting thoughts in his brain.
Besides believing a being or device is planting thoughts in his brain, a person with delusions of control may have many other false beliefs along the same lines. For example, he might believe a person, alien, group, organization, or device is listening to his thoughts or removing certain thoughts from his brain. He could even believe that after planting or removing some of his thoughts, the controllers are causing him to say things he normally wouldn't. Interestingly, it is not always an individual, group of people, terrorist organization, or alien life form an affected person blames for this; sometimes a person may even blame his own government for listening to and controlling his thoughts.
Some delusions of control involve physical actions and behavior rather than thoughts. An affected person may think he has to twirl around in a circle repeatedly because someone or something is controlling him and causing him to do so. If he decides to walk, run, or skip into another room, he might consider a controlling force the cause of this action as well. Additionally, a person who has delusions of control may even commit violent acts as a result of his disorder. For example, he may stab someone with a deadly weapon, yet firmly believe another party has full control of his arm and hand while he is doing so.