Perception is the capacity of the human being to capture information from the surrounding environment, which after being processed allows us to react and adapt to the environment. The capture of this information is vital for survival, and depends largely on our sensory organs.

However, sometimes our senses deceive us and perceive something that does not exist, or they perceive something with characteristics that are far from the real thing. To this last assumption remains the phenomenon known as metamorphosis .

The concept of metamorphosis

Metamorphosis is understood as a type of perceptual alteration in which the subject who suffers it captures the size or shape of the objects in a different way from how they really are. This type of perceptual alteration occurs at a visual level and is linked to the perception of distances.

It is a real perception of a stimulus that really exists, although the object is perceived with characteristics that differ from the real ones. Metamorphosis is therefore a type of perceptual distortion , in which a specific stimulus or stimuli are perceived in an anomalous way. In this way we are not dealing with a content that can be classified as a perceptive deception: it is not a hallucination.

As a general rule, the subject who suffers some kind of metamorphosis is able to detect that his perception is distorted, not being unaware of the fact that the shapes or sizes detected are not the right ones . This can cause a high level of tension and anxiety to appear.

Metamorphosis is not a disorder in itself, but is considered a symptom from which a medical or psychological problem can be inferred. It is not a dangerous condition in itself, although it can be bothersome and can lead to misjudgments about reality . However, depending on the case, the problem that causes it may be quite serious.

Appearance of this alteration

Metamorphosis is a perceptual distortion that can appear under very different conditions , both due to biological and psychic causes.

It frequently appears in the presence of alterations in the cerebral nuclei responsible for vision, as well as parietal lobe epilepsy or brain tumours. Of the same, trauma, cerebral infarcts, intracranial hemorrhages and other types of brain injury can also cause it.

The eye and the retina are also often key points in the development of disorders that lead to the appearance of metamorphoses. It is common for it to appear in cases of macular degeneration , fractions of the retina, infarctions of the veins of the retina, edemas associated with age or even in some cases as an effect of diabetes, extreme myopia or inflammation derived from surgery.

Another factor linked to the appearance of metamorphosis is the consumption of substances with psychoactive properties, and this symptom often appears when faced with the consumption of hallucinogens such as LSD or mescaline, narcotics or even some psychoactive drugs.

Sometimes can occur due to states of intense emotional activation such as terror, distress or anger. Although it can appear in some mental disorders, it is not common. In the latter case, the disorder called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome stands out.

Different types of metamorphosis

Metamorphosis is a perceptual distortion that can be found in which different types of sensory disturbances can appear. Broadly speaking we can find three main types of metamorphosis .

1. Dysmegalopsias

This is a type of metamorphosis in which the alteration occurs in the capture or perception of the size of the stimulus. If our perception of the stimulus is larger than its real size we are talking about a macropsy , while if we perceive something as smaller than that we are talking about a micropsy.

2. Dysmorphopsias

Dysmorphopia is a type of metamorphosis in which the aspect that is perceived distortedly is the form of the stimulus in question. Most often, objects or people are seen as distorted , such as with ripples.

3. Self-Morphology

Another type of metamorphosis is found in self-metamorphosis, in which we perceive our own body in an anomalous way.

4. Inverted metamorphosis

This kind of metamorphosis is not very common. In this case, it is not the shape or the size that appears distorted, but the spatial location . In this way, we can see things upside down, as if we were hanging upside down or from other different orientations.

Treatment

Because it is a symptom and not a disorder in itself, the choice of treatment or therapy to be used will depend largely on the disease that generates it. In general, the visual system should be checked to see if the problem of perception is due to visual or neurological alterations, as well as whether the subject has consumed psychoactive substances or is in some type of pharmacological treatment.

Likewise providing the subject with information about what is happening to him or her is fundamental, since perceptual and especially visual alterations usually awaken a certain level of panic and anguish in addition to the uncertainty of why they see in that way.

Bibliographic references:

  • Belloch, A., Baños, R. and Perpignan, C. (2008) Psychopathology of perception and imagination. In A. Belloch, B. Sandín and F. Ramos (Eds.) Manual de Psicopatología (2nd edition). Vol I. Madrid: McGraw Hill Interamericana.
  • Santos, J.L. (2012). Psychopathology. CEDE PIR Preparation Manual, 01. Madrid.