Disintegrating and Reintegrating the Self – (In)Flexible Self-Models in Depersonalisation and Psychedelic Experiences

Abstract

Across times and cultures, humans constantly and intentionally tried to ‘lose’ or to ‘escape’ their familiar, ordinary self, to ‘self-detach’ and to radically change the ways of perceiving oneself and the world. In this paper we explore the contrast between the feeling of ‘losing’ the sense of familiarity with one’s self and body in Depersonalisation experiences (DP) and psychedelics (with some consideration of meditative experiences). We explore these radical changes in self-experiences through the lens of Active Inference Framework (AIF). AIF is a process theory aiming to capture the capacity of biological organisms (e.g. living human bodies) to survive and thrive in volatile and uncertain environments. In line with previous work on depersonalisation and psychedelic mechanisms, we suggest that such experiences can involve a stance with radically altered prior expectations, so providing opportunities for flexibly modulating self- and world models. Specifically, we suggest that controlled acquisition of new self- and world models may enhance the plasticity of one’s perceptual and sensorimotor experiences. This new gained flexibility, we claim, may allow the individual to ‘leave behind’ certain habits, perceptual rigidities that holds him/her ‘stuck’ in certain behavioural patterns. And to open to new ways of perceiving and integrating self- and world-related information. By contrast, depersonalisation experiences point to a uncontrolled phenomenon of non-flexible (rigid) (dis)integration of ordinary/habitual self-models, and a consequent feeling of being ‘stuck’ in one’s mind. While controlled (dis)integration of habitual self-experiences and consequent re-integration may have positive effect, uncontrolled (dis)integration of habitual self-experiences triggered by unpredictable life events may be overwhelming and lead to self-detachment and potentially adverse clinical outcomes. Contrasting these two modes of alteration will allow us to outline the importance of the controlled ability to flexibly integrate, disintegrate and reintegrate multisensory bodily signals, and its impact on the human sense of self and agency.

Psychedelic replications in virtual reality and their potential as a therapeutic instrument: an open-label feasibility study

“…The alternative proposal is that subjective experiences hold the key to the success of psychedelic interventions (32,33). According to the latter view, therapeutic success is caused by the subjective experiences elicited by these substances, such as mystical (8,34,35), ego-dissolution (32,(36)(37)(38) or insight experiences (5,32,34,(39)(40)(41). If psychedelicinduced subjective experiences underlie their therapeutic effects, then it should be possible to achieve at least some of the benefits of psychedelic therapy without the substances themselves (42) simply by emulating specific aspects of psychedelic experiences.…”

Deep CANALs: a deep learning approach to refining the canalization theory of psychopathology

“…Psychopathologies that are potentially consistent with this configuration include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( Hauser et al., 2016 ), autism spectrum disorder ( Pellicano and Burr, 2012 ; Rogers et al., 2022 ) (although see Van de Cruys et al. (2013) ), and depersonalization-derealization disorder ( Seth et al., 2012 ; Ciaunica and Safron, 2022 ). All three of these disorders can be characterized by an inconsistent deployment of mental circuits (attention in the case of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, interpersonal behavioral strategies in the case of autism, and body schema in the case of depersonalization), as well as an inability or difficulty in learning or changing these circuits over time.…”

Touching and being touched: where knowing and feeling meet

“…Hohwy suggests that the narrative or “reflective” self alternates between dominant and negligible roles in predictive processing precision weighting. Though it may be premature to speculate exactly what aspects of predictive processing go awry during depersonalization [ Seth et al, 2012 posit “imprecise interoceptive predictions”], there may be heuristic value in construing its relatively unchanging “midway” position on the path to ego dissolution as a kind of “stuck-ness,” a lack of fluidity in transitioning between orthogonally related states (in EEG studies) of self-reflection and self-immersion ( Ciaunica and Safron, 2022 ). It is precisely this fluidity that may underwrite the mind’s capacity to wander: to enter into and leave transitional states, or engage in empathic immersion in the experience of another.…”