Illusory Reduplication of One's Own Body: Phenomenology and Classification of Autoscopic Phenomena.
Peter Brugger, M Regard, Théodor Landis
Cognitive Neuropsychiatry February 1, 1997 DOI: 10.1080/135468097396397 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Proposes a phenomenological classification scheme for autoscopic phenomena and suggests the neuromatrix concept as a basis for understanding their neural mechanisms. |
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.