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Mummification and folie à deux
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55102.
Abstract:
Mummification is the preservation of the effects and/or corpse of a loved one. Psychiatric literature regarding this condition is reviewed and a case is presented in which a mother's paranoid psychosis is discovered following her apparent mummification of her son's corpse. In retrospect, it appears that a diagnosis of folie à deux pertained to this pair. The authors contend that mummification may represent the outcome of a shared delusional system and that failure to establish psychiatric diagnoses in those who practice mummification has been the result of inherent difficulties in diagnosing paranoid disorders.
Insights
Mummification, the preservation of a loved one
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Forensic Psychology
Background:
- Mummification is a rare phenomenon involving the preservation of a deceased individual.
- Limited psychiatric literature exists on the motivations and psychological underpinnings of mummification.
Observation:
- A case study details a mother who preserved her deceased son's body.
- The mother exhibited paranoid psychosis, suggesting a potential shared delusional system.
Findings:
- The case suggests mummification can be an outcome of folie à deux, a shared psychotic disorder.
- Difficulties in diagnosing paranoid disorders contribute to underdiagnosis in mummification cases.
Implications:
- Mummification may stem from complex shared delusional systems.
- Improved diagnostic approaches for paranoid disorders are needed in forensic contexts.