Munchausen Syndrome and Necrophilia

Abstract

Munchausen syndrome and necrophilia are uncommon disorders which do not appear to be related. It is suggested, however, that both of them center on "return to the womb" fantasies and may represent variants of each other. Specifically, the Munchausen patient's symptom triad (factitious illness, peregrination, pseudologia fantastica) is seen to reflect a wish for death and reunion with the maternal object.