Autoscopy

Autoscopy is the experience in which an individual perceives the surrounding environment from a different perspective, from a position outside of their own body.^[1] Autoscopy comes from the ancient Greek autós (αὐτός, "self") and skopós (σκοπός, "watcher").

Autoscopy has been of interest to humankind from time immemorial and is abundant in the folklore, mythology, and spiritual narratives of most ancient and modern societies. Cases of autoscopy are commonly encountered in modern psychiatric practice.^[2] According to neurological research, autoscopic experiences are hallucinations.^[1]^[3] Their root cause is unclear. Autoscopic experiences can include non-mirroring real-time images and the experiencer may be able to move.

^ ^a ^b Blanke, O., Mohr, C. (2005). Out-of-body experience, heautoscopy, and autoscopic hallucination of neurological origin Implications for neurocognitive mechanisms of corporeal awareness and self consciousness Archived 2014-06-30 at the Wayback Machine. Brain Research Reviews 50: 184–199.
^ Dening, T. R., Berrios, G. E. (1994). Autoscopic phenomena. British Journal of Psychiatry 165: 808–817.
^ Brugger, P; Regard, M; Landis, T. (1997). Illusory reduplication of one's own body: phenomenology and classification of autoscopic phenomena. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry 2: 19–38.

[Blanke_2005-1] Blanke, O., Mohr, C. (2005). Out-of-body experience, heautoscopy, and autoscopic hallucination of neurological origin Implications for neurocognitive mechanisms of corporeal awareness and self consciousness Archived 2014-06-30 at the Wayback Machine. Brain Research Reviews 50: 184–199.

[2] Dening, T. R., Berrios, G. E. (1994). Autoscopic phenomena. British Journal of Psychiatry 165: 808–817.

[3] Brugger, P; Regard, M; Landis, T. (1997). Illusory reduplication of one's own body: phenomenology and classification of autoscopic phenomena. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry 2: 19–38.

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