Derealization
feeling as though the external world is not real
Derealization is a dissociative phenomenon characterized by an alteration in the perception of the external world, causing those with the condition to perceive it as unreal, distant, distorted, or in other ways falsified. Other symptoms include feeling as if one's environment lacks spontaneity, emotional coloring, and depth. Described as "Experiences of unreality or detachment with respect to surroundings (e.g., individuals or objects are experienced as unreal, dreamlike, foggy, lifeless or visually distorted)" in the DSM-5, it is a dissociative symptom that may appear in moments of severe stress.
Derealization is a subjective experience pertaining to a person's perception of the outside world, while depersonalization is a related symptom characterized by dissociation from one's own body and mental processes. The two are commonly experienced in conjunction but can also occur independently.
Chronic derealization is fairly rare, and may be caused by occipital–temporal dysfunction. Experiencing derealization for long periods of time or having recurring episodes can be indicative of many psychological disorders, and can cause significant distress and may cause those experiencing it to start questioning reality. Chronic derealization is estimated to occur in between 0.95% and 2.4% of the general population. Derealization is equally prevalent amongst men and women, while the onset usually occurs in adolescence; only 5% of cases of chronic derealization occur in those older than 25. Temporary derealization symptoms are commonly experienced by the general population a few times throughout their lives, with a lifetime prevalence of 26%–74% and a prevalence of 31%–66% at the time of a traumatic event.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Derealization” is feeling as though the external world is not real. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Derealization, feeling and though, not as a finished interpretation.
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This entry incorporates text from “Derealization” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.