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The Delusion of Inanimate Doubles

Implications for Understanding the Capgras Phenomenon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

D. N. Anderson
D. N. Anderson*
Affiliation:
Sefton General Hospital, Liverpool
*
∗Department of Psychogeriatrics, Royal Liverpool Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool 7
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Abstract

The Capgras delusion has long been held to be specific for close personal relationships. This paper presents evidence that this is not the case and the implications of this for accepting psychodynamic explanations of the phenomenon are discussed. Parallels are drawn with the condition prosopagnosia and a hypothesis presented that any specificity is apparent rather than real. It is proposed that both prosopagnosia and the Capgras symptom represent abnormalities of visual perception occurring at different stages of this neurophysiological process.

Type
Brief Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 153 , Issue 5 , November 1988 , pp. 694 - 699
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

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