For me, the issue is not the presence of knives, but the fact that they were flying HILT first towards the ship. Who the hell hallucinates that????"And the children Shall lead'
Sulu sees a tunnel of knives forcing the enterprise to maintain course. Knives?- really?
Why not something which could be potentially out there instead of something so ridiculous that it should be rejected out of hand by any sane person. the children were creating illusions to control adults, but the illusions need to be believable for people to be taken in with them.