Illusory Reduplication of One's Own Body: Phenomenology and Classification of Autoscopic Phenomena.

Autoscopic phenomena are experiences where a person perceives a duplicate of their own body. The scientific literature on these phenomena is scattered and uses inconsistent terminology. This article proposes a new classification scheme based on how these experiences feel to the person. It describes the main features of several types: autoscopic hallucinations, heautoscopy, the feeling of a presence, out-of-body experiences, and negative and inner forms. The article also explains why these phenomena should be distinguished from other conditions like reduplicative paramnesias and misidentification syndromes. Finally, it suggests that a concept called the neuromatrix could be a starting point for understanding the brain mechanisms behind these experiences.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Autoscopic phenomena involve the illusory reduplication of one's own body. The literature on the topic is widely scattered and suffers from considerable terminological and conceptual inconsistencies. This article proposes a classification scheme based on phenomenological criteria. Along with examples of illustrative cases, we outline the main features of autoscopic hallucinations, heautoscopy proper, the feeling of a presence, the out-of-body experience, and negative and inner forms of autoscopic phenomena. We also discuss the need for a differentiation of autoscopic phenomena from reduplicative paramnesias and the misidentification syndromes. Finally, the concept of a neuromatrix (Melzack, 1990) is proposed as a starting point for the understanding of the neuronal mechanisms underlying autoscopic phenomena.