The Doppelgänger, disintegration and death: a case report

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Neurology
• Psychological Phenomena

Background:

• The Doppelgänger phenomenon, also known as heautoscopy or double autoscopy, involves perceiving a visual double of oneself.
• This rare perceptual disturbance is often associated with neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Observation:

• A case study of a psychotic patient experiencing the Doppelgänger phenomenon is detailed.
• The patient's subjective experience of seeing their double is analyzed in depth.

Findings:

• The patient's experience aligns with descriptions of heautoscopy in scientific literature.
• Themes of death and disintegration, commonly linked to the Doppelgänger in folklore, were prominent in the patient's experience.

Implications:

• This case contributes to understanding the phenomenology of self-perception disturbances in psychosis.
• It highlights the intersection of psychological distress, cultural symbolism, and neurological presentation.