Just to point out that there are "neuro-ophthalmologists" who might be
a little more attuned to this sort of visual oddity.
ALSO, do not forget neuropsychologists--many of whom are quite
knowledgeable about (and may have more intellectual curiosity about)
such things than the vast majority of neurologists (and perhaps more
than most neuropsychiatrists, who may tend to focus more on phenomena
of more immediate "psychiatric" relevance).
F. Frank LeFever, Ph.D.
New York Neuropsychology Group
In <dDqmHCATIhk3EwWI at hermit0.demon.co.uk> Nick Medford
<nick at hermit0.demon.co.uk> writes:
>>In article <3791BFDC.3784 at online.no>, Tore Lund <tl001 at online.no>
writes
>>In article <3790408A.2ED6 at online.no>, Tore Lund <tl001 at online.no>
writes
>>>In the book "Complexity" by Roger Lewin (1993) [snip]
>>>>>> ...Chris felt he was living in the middle of a cube, the sides of
>>> which were cinema screens with pictures projected on them.
>>> (Beginning of chapter 8, page 151 in Phoenix ed.)
>>>>Nick Medford wrote:
>>>>>> I haven't read the book, but the quote above sounds like he could
be
>>> describing the depersonalisation/derealisation syndrome. [snip]
>>>>>> These phenomena are currently the subject of research at the
Institute
>>> of Psychiatry in London. You can get more info and references at
our
>>> website: http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/home/dpu/index.htm>>>>Thanks for the pointer, Nick. There are quite a few references to
>>visual disturbances at this site. Let's look at some of them:
>>>>Anonymous:
>>>> "Get telescopic vision ... The people I was talking to began to
turn
>> into paper cutouts."
>>>>Jennifer:
>>>> "My vision even feels like a 2-dimensional movie screen all of
the
>> time."
>>>>Kerry:
>>>> "Suddenly, that surreal, dream-like quality returned, complete
with
>> altered depth perception..."
>>>>The mini-FAQ:
>>>> "I really don't have any 3-D vision it seems. Everything appears
>> flat."
>>>>You and C_Thomas seem to doubt that Chris was actually seeing the
world
>>as a cube with the world projected on its sides. Taken together with
>>the quotes above, however, it seems to me that these people actually
>>have *visual* disturbances.
>>>>Well, you've moved from the specific to the general. If you're saying
>that sensory illusions and misperceptions can occur in
depersonalisation
>states, then of course I agree. That's very well documented. I just
>wasn't sure from the quote you posted that this was the case in the
>particular instance you cite.
>> Other phenomena that may occur in such states include a distorted
sense
>of time, or a feeling that the body is so light it might float away.
The
>frequency with which particular phenomena occur must in part depend on
>the underlying cause. As I mentioned a wide range of conditions can
give
>rise to such states- they also occur in "normals" under conducive
>conditions eg sleep deprivation, also when faced with life-threatening
>danger (check the 1977 paper by Netti and Kloyes, referenced on the
>website). Also under the influence of certain psychotropics eg LSD.
>>>Presumably, what happens is that patients of this sort come to a
>>specialist who is not interested in vision - and the vision
specialists
>>never see these patients. Hence these disturbances are never
properly
>>studied and described.
>>>Well, "patients of this sort" covers a multitude of different
underlying
>problems (see above). Of course there may be similarities in the
>neurophysiological mechanisms, whatever the underlying medical
>condition.
>>I'm trying to picture the reaction of your average ophthalmologist
being
>asked to see such a patient. (Is this what you mean by "vision
>specialist"?) They deal with problems affecting the organ and
apparatus
>of vision ie problems affecting the eyes and optic nerves. They don't
>deal with neuropsychiatric problems.
>>The types of visual distortions you mention are highly unlikely to
have
>anything to do with problems in the eye itself. Rather they point to a
>subtle disturbance of the brain's ability to process and make sense of
>sensory information. Thus it seems apropriate to me that such
patients
>are seen by neurologists and psychiatrists...particularly those
>interested in clinical neuroscience. Semir Zeki's book "A Vision of
the
>Brain" gives a first-hand account of discoveries in the neuroscience
of
>vision, if this is an area that interests anyone out there.
>>I'd accept that this whole area is poorly understood in many ways.
Study
>of depersonalisation states opens up some real cans of worms. Like, if
>someone says they feel unreal, how do they (or you) define what feels
>real and what doesn't? And from there it's a short jump to all those
>arguments about self-constructs, zombies, consciousness etc etc. So
it's
>thorny stuff.
>>>I repeat that I think these phenomena could tell us something about
our
>>stereoscopic vision - because the distortions that can arise in a
system
>>can tell us a lot about the nature of that system and rule out models
>>that don't allow for such distortions.
>>>>Just a thought.
>>--
>Nick Medford
