Mirrored self-misidentification
Encyclopedia
Mirrored-self misidentification is the delusion
al belief that one's reflection in a mirror is some other person (often believed to be someone who is following one around). Often people who suffer from this delusion are not delusional about anything else. It is considered a monothematic delusion
; it is sometimes labeled a delusional misidentification syndrome
. The disorder is often found within the context of dementia
and can also be caused by the organic dysfunction resulting from traumatic brain injury
, stroke
, or neurological illness.
, entitled Heart of Glass a man was found dead in his apartment with his sister, who claims she was attacked by a woman who had somehow entered their apartment twice before. It was eventually revealed that the woman had Capgras syndrome and that the "intruder" was actually her own reflected image in various surfaces. It was during the last "struggle" with the "intruder" that she accidentally killed her brother. This was later confirmed during interrogation when she tried attacking her own reflection in the interrogation room's two-way mirror.
In the 2008 film The Eye
, Jessica Alba
's character experiences visions of paranormal experiences and suffers from mirrored-self misidentification, referred to in the story as cellular memory
.
Delusion
A delusion is a false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence. Unlike hallucinations, delusions are always pathological...
al belief that one's reflection in a mirror is some other person (often believed to be someone who is following one around). Often people who suffer from this delusion are not delusional about anything else. It is considered a monothematic delusion
Monothematic delusion
A monothematic delusion is a delusional state that only concerns one particular topic. This is contrasted by what is sometimes called multi-thematic or polythematic delusions where the person has a range of delusions...
; it is sometimes labeled a delusional misidentification syndrome
Delusional misidentification syndrome
Delusional misidentification syndrome is an umbrella term, introduced by Christodoulou for a group of delusional disorders that occur in the context of mental or neurological illness. They all involve a belief that the identity of a person, object or place has somehow changed or has been altered...
. The disorder is often found within the context of dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
and can also be caused by the organic dysfunction resulting from traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury , also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features...
, stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, or neurological illness.
Causes
Like other monothematic delusions, mirrored-self misidentification is currently thought to be initially caused by a neurological defect, typically in the right hemisphere, which affects one's experience. Current research points to two potential dysfunctions that may lead to this disorder:- Patients who have impaired face perceptionFace perceptionFace perception is the process by which the brain and mind understand and interpret the face, particularly the human face.The human face's proportions and expressions are important to identify origin, emotional tendencies, health qualities, and some social information. From birth, faces are...
(i.e. prosopagnosiaProsopagnosiaProsopagnosia is a disorder of face perception where the ability to recognize faces is impaired, while the ability to recognize other objects may be relatively intact...
) and thus can no longer recognize themselves (similar to Capgras delusionCapgras delusionThe Capgras delusion theory is a disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, or other close family member has been replaced by an identical-looking impostor...
) - Patients who have lost the ability to interact appropriately with mirrors.
In fiction
In an episode of CSI: NYCSI: NY
CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
, entitled Heart of Glass a man was found dead in his apartment with his sister, who claims she was attacked by a woman who had somehow entered their apartment twice before. It was eventually revealed that the woman had Capgras syndrome and that the "intruder" was actually her own reflected image in various surfaces. It was during the last "struggle" with the "intruder" that she accidentally killed her brother. This was later confirmed during interrogation when she tried attacking her own reflection in the interrogation room's two-way mirror.
In the 2008 film The Eye
The Eye (2008 film)
The Eye is a 2008 supernatural horror film starring Jessica Alba. It is a remake of the Pang Brothers' 2002 film of the same name.-Plot:Sydney Wells is a successful classical violinist who has been blind since the age of five. Fifteen years later, Sydney undergoes a cornea transplant, which causes...
, Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
's character experiences visions of paranormal experiences and suffers from mirrored-self misidentification, referred to in the story as cellular memory
Cellular memory
Cellular memory can refer to:*A variation of body memory, the pseudoscientific hypothesis that memories can be stored in individual cells*A memory card used in cellphones...
.