Strange-face illusions during eye-to-eye gazing in dyads: specific effects on derealization, depersonalization and dissociative identity

Abstract

Experimentally induced strange-face illusions can be perceived when two individuals look at each other in the eyes under low illumination for about ten minutes. This task of subject-other eye-to-eye gazing produces the following perceptions by the subject: (i) mild to huge deformations and color/shape changes of face and facial features; (ii) lifeless, unmoving faces and immaterial presences akin to out-of-body experiences; (iii) pseudo-hallucinations, enlightened 'idealized' faces and personalities -rather than the other's actual face. Dissociative phenomena seem to be involved, whereas effects of non-pathological dissociation on strange-face illusions have not yet been directly investigated. In the present study, dissociative perceptions and strangeface illusions were measured through self-report questionnaires on a large sample (N = 90) of healthy young individuals. Results of correlation and factor analyses suggest that strange-face illusions can involve, respectively: (i) strange-face illusions correlated to derealization; (ii) strange-face illusions correlated to depersonalization; and (iii) strange-face illusions of identity, which are supposedly correlated to identity dissociation. The findings support the separation between detachment and compartmentalization in dissociative processes. Effects of gender show that strangeface illusions are more frequent in men with respect to women if dyads are composed of individuals of different gender. Furthermore, drawings of strange-faces, which were perceived by portrait artists in place the others' faces, allowed a direct illustration of examples of dissociative identities. Findings are discussed in relation to the three-level model of self-referential processing.

Visual perception and dissociation during Mirror Gazing Test in patients with anorexia nervosa: a preliminary study

“…The face is a complex stimulus pattern, compared to the body, and moreover, it conveys a complete self-identity representation. Thus, the face, which is reflected in the mirror or perceived through the other's gaze, is the ideal stimulus to investigate three different facets of dissociation (derealization, depersonalization, and dissociative identity), as it was showed in a previous study [27].…”

“…"); (iii) Dissociative Identity/Compartmentalization (summing items: 2, 7, 9, 12, 13, 21, 25, 26, 27; total score ranging from 0 to 36; example: "Did you seem to recognize another personality that you would not have expected?"). The three subscales of SFQ present good levels of reliability and validity: SFQ-Derealisation (α = 0.73), SFQ-Depersonalization (α = 0.32), and SFQ-Dissociative Identity (α = 0.61) [27].…”

“…"); (iii) Dissociative Amnesia (summing items: 14, 15; total score ranging from 0 to 8; example: "did it seem like you were wandering with your own thoughts and/or losing track of what was happening?"). The three subscales of CADSS present good levels of reliability and validity: CADSS-Derealisation (α = 0.64), CADSS-Depersonalization (α = 0.62), and CADSS-Dissociative Amnesia (α = 0.33) [27]. Furthermore, participants completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), assessing alimentary habits and clusters of symptoms deemed relevant for the understanding and treatment of ED.…”

Things That Go Bump in the Literature: An Environmental Appraisal of “Haunted Houses”

“…However, there was a suggestive trend (p < 0.07, two-tailed) for the control house (M = 3.57, SD = 3.10) to contain more mirrors than the target house (M = 1.00, SD = 1.41). This finding might seem surprising and counterintuitive, since mirrors and reflective surfaces in general are associated with anomalous experiences (Caputo, 2010a(Caputo, ,b, 2013(Caputo, , 2015(Caputo, , 2016(Caputo, , 2017(Caputo, , 2019Caputo et al, 2012). This correlation offers several interpretations.…”

“…Indeed, unusual or anomalous perceptions (in different sensory modalities) predictably and systematically manifest when even healthy (i.e., non-clinical) individuals are directed to stare intently into a mirror, darkened space, or another person's face over a period of time and under low illumination (Caputo, 2019). Psychomanteum, mirror-gazing, and eye-gazing protocols that are used to study these perceptual phenomena constitute a fascinating niche within consciousness studies and can aid model-building or theory-formation of haunttype experiences (cf.…”