Delusions in which a person believes that anything that happens in the world has a specific meaning for her or him; or such a thing has been done only because of him or her: Even a thundering or drops of rain are considered ideas of references that are considered to be personal because someone feels these elements have a personal significance.

There are times when an idea of reference includes a delusion of persecution and the person misinterprets anything that happens in reality as a sign that there are imagined persecutors who are about to succeed in destroying or disgracing him or her.

James had an idea reference that convinced him that all remarks made by others were always about him, even when such comments had nothing to do with him.