Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Title: Depersonalization derealization disorder: the philosophical take home message
Abstract: Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (DDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by a profound sense of alienation from oneself and the world. Individuals with DDD may experience a detachment from their body, actions, and sense of self (depersonalization), a feeling of unreality in their surroundings (derealization), and even a distorted perception of time (detemporalization). This intriguing disorder, with its potential to illuminate the nature of selfhood, time, and reality, has captivated philosophers since its recognition in the late 19th century, drawing the attention of luminaries such as Bergson, Sartre, Dilthey, and Merleau-Ponty. However, much of the philosophical discourse surrounding DDD has been fragmented and lacking empirical grounding. This presentation aims to offer a unified and empirically informed account of the philosophical insights gleaned from DDD. I will propose that DDD can be broadly understood as a disruption of subjective perspective, and, perhaps surprisingly, that it offers a unique opportunity to, at least partially, vindicate the very nature of subjective experience.
Title: Depersonalization derealization disorder: the philosophical take home message
Abstract: Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (DDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by a profound sense of alienation from oneself and the world. Individuals with DDD may experience a detachment from their body, actions, and sense of self (depersonalization), a feeling of unreality in their surroundings (derealization), and even a distorted perception of time (detemporalization). This intriguing disorder, with its potential to illuminate the nature of selfhood, time, and reality, has captivated philosophers since its recognition in the late 19th century, drawing the attention of luminaries such as Bergson, Sartre, Dilthey, and Merleau-Ponty. However, much of the philosophical discourse surrounding DDD has been fragmented and lacking empirical grounding. This presentation aims to offer a unified and empirically informed account of the philosophical insights gleaned from DDD. I will propose that DDD can be broadly understood as a disruption of subjective perspective, and, perhaps surprisingly, that it offers a unique opportunity to, at least partially, vindicate the very nature of subjective experience.
