forgive me, but this stuff is all quite old. NPR did a segment on it on
21Sep96, and it was more than a decade old by then.
ken collins
F. Frank LeFever wrote in message <7n0q1v$7ae at dfw-ixnews10.ix.netcom.com>...
>>Tore makes an important point, I believe. In my own response, I made
>reference to derealization, and to temporal lobe epilepsy; others have
>referred to "non-neurological" contexts for experiences of
>derealization and/or depersonalization.
>>Given the confluence of limbic system and sensory systems in the
>medial temporal lobe, there are rich opportunities for sensory
>distortions with this sort of emotional flavor.
>>However, just as regards temporal lobe alone, we know from (e.g.) Mort
>Mishkin's work (much of it with Leslie Ungerleider) something about the
>different paths visual input takes to the hippocampus (they have
>focused on the distinction between dorsal "where" and ventral "what"
>visual streams). Accordingly, we should be alert to aberrations at
>earlier points along these routes which might produce "pure" visual
>anomalies without any social/emotional aspects, other than the natural
>reactions one might have to odd visual experiences.
>>Two examples that come to mind: palinopsia; formed visual
>hallucinations (e.g. with some disturbances of posterior
>cerebrovascular circulation).
>>F. Frank LeFever, Ph.D.
>New York Neuropsychology Group
>>>>>In <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.
>>>>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.
>>>>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.
>>--
>>Tore Lund <tl001 at online.no>
>>>
