Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:16:21.525Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Case of “Double Autoscopy”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

S. Craske
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Royal Free Hospital, London, W.C.1
B. I. Sacks
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London, S.E.5, formerly Senior House Officer, Royal Free Hospital

Extract

Disorders of body image are reported to be relatively common, and have been observed in some studies to occur in as many as 25 per cent. of psychiatric patients (Lukianowicz, 1967). Reduplication of the body image, however, is comparatively rare. Although classical literature is rich in descriptions of visual hallucinations of the self, it is only comparatively recently that this phenomenon has received medical attention. Coleman (1934) wrote at length on the possible psychological significance of the “double”, but it was left to Lhermitte (1951) to study such autoscopic experiences clinically and to draw attention to their medical importance.

Type
Shorter Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1969 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Coleman, S. M. (1934). “Phantom double. Its psychological significance.” Brit. J. med. Psychol., 14, 254273.Google Scholar
2 Jaspers, K. (1946). General Psychopathology, p. 92. English translation by Hoenig, J. and Hamilton, Marian W. Manchester University Press, 1962.Google Scholar
3 Lhermitte, J. (1951). “Visual hallucinations of the self.” Brit. med. J., i, 431434.Google Scholar
4 Lukianowicz, N. (1958). “Autoscopic phenomena.” A.M.A. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 80, 199205.Google Scholar
5 Lukianowicz, N. (1967). “Body image disturbance in psychiatric disorders.” Brit. J. Psychiat., 113, (494) 3147.Google Scholar
6 McConnell, W. B. (1965). “The phantom double in pregnancy.” Brit. J. Psychiat., 111, (470) 6769.Google Scholar
7 Staudenmaier, (1912). “Die Magie als experimentelle Naturwissenschaft.” Leipizig.Google Scholar
8 Todd, J., and Dewhurst, K. (1955). “The double: its psycho-pathology and psycho-physiology.” J. nerv. ment. Dis., 122, 4755.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.