A Developmental Study of Mirror-Gazing-Induced Anomalous Self-Experiences and Self-Reported Schizotypy from 7 to 28 Years of Age

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The mirror-gazing task (MGT) is an experimental paradigm inducing anomalous perceptions and anomalous experiences of self-face (ASEs) in the general population, ranging from changes in light and color, to face deformation, to experiencing one’s specular image as another identity. Subclinical ASEs have been related to the emergence of the risk for developing psychotic disorders, and inducing such states in the general population could shed light on the factors underlying interindividual differences in proneness to these phenomena. We aimed to examine the influence of schizotypal personality traits on proneness to experiencing induced ASEs from a developmental perspective, from childhood to adulthood. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Two hundred and sixteen children, adolescents, and young adults participated in the MGT, and their schizotypal personality traits were assessed with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Statistical analyses assessed the relationship between schizotypy dimensions and induced ASEs, and we further tested their dynamic relationship as function of age (from childhood to adulthood). <b><i>Results:</i></b> Results confirmed the developmental trajectory of the different schizotypy dimensions, with scores peaking during adolescence, and proneness to induced ASEs seemed to follow a similar developmental trajectory. Moreover, positive (<i>p</i> = 0.001) and disorganized (<i>p</i> = 0.004) dimensions were found to contribute to the proneness to experiencing induced ASEs. Finally, the developmental model showed that positive schizotypy (<i>p</i> = 0.035) uniquely distinguished between experiencing other-identity phenomena between childhood and adulthood. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This study has the potential to inform research on early detection of psychosis through a developmental approach and links the concept of schizotypy with processes of perceptual self-distortions.

Effects of Self-Esteem on Self-Viewing: An Eye-Tracking Investigation on Mirror Gazing

While some people enjoy looking at their faces in the mirror, others experience emotional distress. Despite these individual differences concerning self-viewing in the mirror, systematic investigations on this topic have not been conducted so far. The present eye-tracking study examined whether personality traits (self-esteem, narcissism propensity, self-disgust) are associated with gaze behavior (gaze duration, fixation count) during free mirror viewing of one’s face. Sixty-eight adults (mean age = 23.5 years; 39 females, 29 males) viewed their faces in the mirror and watched a video of an unknown person matched for gender and age (control condition) for 90 s each. The computed regression analysis showed that higher self-esteem was associated with a shorter gaze duration for both self-face and other-face. This effect may reflect a less critical evaluation of the faces.

Mirror- and Eye-Gazing: An Integrative Review of Induced Altered and Anomalous Experiences

We critically reviewed the protocols, results, and potential implications from empirical studies ( n = 44) on mirror-gazing (including the “psychomanteum”) and eye-to-eye gazing, both in healthy individuals and clinical patients, including studies of hypnotic mirrored self-misidentification, mirror-gazing in body dysmorphic disorder and schizophrenia. We found these methods to be effective for eliciting altered states or anomalous experiences under controlled conditions and in non-clinical samples. Mirror-gazing and eye-to-eye-gazing produced anomalous experiences almost exclusively in the visual, bodily, and self-identity modalities, whereas psychomanteum experiences tended also to involve voices, smells, and bodily touches. The complexity, diversity, and specificity in contents across these anomalous experiences suggest mechanisms beyond perceptual distortions or illusions. We argue that mirror- and eye-gazing anomalous perceptions implicate different mechanisms that induce (i) Derealization (anomalous perceptions of external reality); (ii) Depersonalization (anomalous perceptions of the body), and (iii) Dissociated identity (anomalous perceptions of another identity in place of the self in mirror-gazing or in place of the other in eye-to-eye gazing). These interpretations suggest directions for future researches.

10 State dissociation and interoception in functional neurological disorder

Objective/aimsInteroceptive differences have been proposed as an aetiological factor in functional neurological disorder (FND) but there is limited supportive evidence. Previous studies are few, have mixed findings and assessed only (objective) interoceptive accuracy, but not (metacognitive) interoceptive awareness. The aim of this study was to explore interoception in FND in greater detail, by assessing interoceptive accuracy and awareness in individuals with a range of FND presentations. As dissociative symptoms (e.g., depersonalisation, derealisation) are common in FND and could influence interoception, we sought to examine the effects of induced acute dissociation on interoception. We hypothesised that interoceptive accuracy/awareness would be impaired at baseline in FND relative to healthy controls, but that the differences would be exacerbated following dissociation induction.MethodsTwenty adults with FND were recruited from online FND support groups. Diagnosis was confirmed by medical documentation from a relevant healthcare professional. The FND group was compared to a group of 20 healthy controls recruited from online community groups. A modified heart-beat tracking task measured interoceptive accuracy (correct detection of heart beats) and awareness (confidence judgements). A control task involved counting visually presented geometric shapes. Both tasks were completed before and after a validated dissociation induction procedure (mirror-gazing).ResultsThe FND group reported elevated dissociation at baseline relative to controls (p<0.01) but this difference was larger following mirror-gazing (p<0.001). Interoceptive accuracy did not differ significantly between groups at baseline; however, the FND group had significantly lower accuracy scores following mirror-gazing (p<0.05). There was no effect of group on shape counting accuracy at either timepoint. Confidence ratings on the interoception and shape counting tasks were significantly lower at both timepoints in the FND group relative to controls (all p-values <0.05 or <0.01).ConclusionsIndividuals with FND reported elevated dissociation both before and after a dissociation induction procedure, although this was exacerbated post-dissociation induction. In contrast, interoceptive accuracy was unimpaired at baseline, but impaired following dissociation induction, relative to controls. The FND group showed reduced metacognitive awareness for detection of bodily states and external (visual) stimuli. Future research should better determine the nature of interoceptive deficits in FND and assess the impact of dissociation on a range of cognitive and affective processes relevant to the disorder.

Artistic portraits of strange-face illusions produced through eye-to-eye gazing in dyads or mirror-gazing

Strange-face illusions are apparitional perceptions of deformed faces, unknown people and monstrous beings – that are produced when staring for a long time at one’s own face reflected in a mirror or when eye-to-eye staring at another person in a dyad, at low level room illumination. In this experiment, portrait artists were invited to draw strange-face illusions they perceived during a 10-minute session of eye-to-eye gazing while paired in dyads with naïve participants. Dissociation was measured through standard self-report questionnaires. Results showed that portraits became more abstract and less figurative as the artists experienced higher levels of non-pathological dissociation. Statistically, a significant correlation was found between art-abstraction ratings and dissociation scores by judges and portrait artists, respectively. Findings are discussed in relationship to modern art portraits à la manière de Scipione and Francis Bacon.