Hallucinations usually are?

[Jo Trott]

In the 93rd episode of Star Trek: Voyager Seven of Nine is hallucinating and after the doctor hotwires his mobile emitter he finds her in engineering pointing a rifle at an imagined alien named Trajis Lo-Tarik. The Trajis hallucination vanishes at this point and Seven and the doctor have the following dialog which urks me every time I see this episode:

The Doctor: I believe so. When I studied the gel pack I discovered the radiation was producing a degradation in the synaptic relays. I'm guessing there's been a similar effect on your Borg implants. The radiation could be altering the neurotransmitter levels in your sensory nodes. That would explain why you're hearing voices, seeing images.
Seven of Nine: It seemed real.
The Doctor: Hallucinations usually are. That's what makes them so frightening.

Shouldn't the Doctor have said "hallucinations usually do" instead of "hallucinations usually are?"

I must be wrong because I don't see how the script writers, director, producer, and actors would all overlook such a grammatical train wreck unless there was a reason for it.

Maybe it was because the Doctor's program was degrading?

 

[Tosk]

I agree...I don't know many grammatical rules, but it certainly feels like it should be "do".

Also, irks.

 

[Jo Trott]

Thank you.

At the time the Doctor's mobile emitter was hot wired through the energy-plasma system which went offline a few seconds later causing his program to go offline too. Perhaps the nebula was having or the jury-rigged malfunctioning mobile emitter and failing energy-plasma system was having a deleterious effect on his program? It's the best explanation I can come up with anyway...

Also sorry for typos, my fat little sausage like fingers do that a lot on this tiny android touchscreen keyboard.

 

[Prax]

"Hallucinations usually are [seemimgly real]"

Or

"Hallucinations usually are quite realistic."

 

[Jo Trott]

"Hallucinations usually are [seemimgly real]"

I think that would have certainly improved the dialog! Thank you for your input Prax!

Do you believe it was implied in his statement though or are you suggesting that The Doctor should have said it that way?

 

[Prax]

I don't know. Sometimes when speaking for a group, like giving a small presentation, I have used incorrect verbs. There are so many ways to word a sentence, that I screw it up. I'd guess the real answer lies in looking at the script, but I don't know where you would find it.

 

[Refuge]

Never picked up on it before but my grammar is a mess.

'One'

EMH: I believe so. When I studied the gel pack, I discovered the radiation was producing a degradation in the synaptic relays. I'm guessing there's been a similar effect on your Borg implants. The radiation could be altering the neurotransmitter levels in your sensory nodes. That would explain why you're hearing voices, seeing images.
SEVEN: They seemed real.
EMH: Hallucinations usually are. That's what makes them so frightening.

 

[Jo Trott]

Thanks Refuge!

EMH: I believe so. When I studied the gel pack, I discovered the radiation was producing a degradation in the synaptic relays. I'm guessing there's been a similar effect on your Borg implants. The radiation could be altering the neurotransmitter levels in your sensory nodes. That would explain why you're hearing voices, seeing images.
SEVEN: They seemed real.
EMH: Hallucinations usually are. That's what makes them so frightening.

They seemed real. Hallucinations usually are (real) is what that statement seems to imply. But the word hallucinate comes from a Greek root which means "To wander within one's own mind." Imaginings in other words, and imaginings are anything but real. I still want to say it was because The Doctor's program was degrading from the effect the nebula was having on the EPS his mobile emitter was wired into.