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If you've ever suffered from Depersonalization/Derealization disorder, it will become very clear that your mind and your consciousness are not the same thing at

If you've ever suffered from Depersonalization/Derealization disorder, it will become very clear that your mind and your consciousness are not the same thing at all. DP/DR is quite possibly the worst mental disorder you can ever fall into. It is the feeling where you are convinced everything around you is not real, you see people you know, you know they are significant, but they just feel like actors in a show and you don't care. You look in the mirror, and you don't recognize yourself as you, you just see a body. Worse, your body just moves around the world and accomplish things on autopilot, while you watch everything unfold on what feels like a screen, completely detached. If you died, you wouldn't care much, because you wouldn't feel it's you dying, in fact you want to die, because you are trapped in a hell from which there is no escape. I've never suffered from this disorder, but I investigated it for some time and am convinced it reveals something we do not yet understand about our existence in this world. The source of our existence may not be where we think it is.

DoreenMichele 9y ago
Eh, easily attributed to brain chemistry and not necessarily anything woo.
- matte_black 9y ago
  There is no known cause. Or cure for that matter.
  - DoreenMichele 9y ago
    That's not really a rebuttal of my point. I have a serious medical condition. I frequently suffer somatopsychic side effects. It's incredible what chemistry can make you feel. I happen to also believe in a lot of woo stuff. But the reality is that no known cause is not proof that there is a spiritual explanation or cause.
    - SherlockeHolmes 9y ago
      this isn’t an explanation. this is a very poor woman’s hypothesis. If you were to provide verifiable relationships between chemical imbalances and whatever relevant physical abnormalities in a brain and a person’s mental state, you’d be up for a nobel prize. to achieve this relationship, you’d first need to develop a quantifiable way to represent a person’s mental state. for which, you’d be up for another nobel prize.
      - DoreenMichele 9y ago
        Sorry you aren't satisfied. There's plenty of information out there about somatopsychic side effects and we know drugs alter mental states all the time. That's so well established, I find it laughable that anyone would even question it. I'm not very interested in seeking the Nobel Prize in this area. I am busy doing other things that I fantasize will lead to a Nobel Prize. Best.
        SherlockeHolmes 9y ago
        I am sorry that I was not satisfied. Mind alterations are induced by drugs. Chemical imbalances influence the same. I just am not convinced that these evidences are enough. Thank you.
        DoreenMichele 9y ago
        If you are sincerely interested in the topic, starting by being dismissive and disrespectful of the individual you are addressing is not an effective means to start a good discussion. I did a research paper in high school on Functional Hypoglycemia. Chronic low blood sugar is known to promote anxiety and paranoia. I've blogged about managing various somatopsychic side effects with diet, such as eating oranges for the vitamin c while enduring random fits of rage to get that under control and eating beef with potatoes to mediate the salt lithium connection and calm bipolar-like mood swings. But I am not interested in fighting some uphill battle to convince a skeptic who is just pissing all over me with every reply. So I had no reason to stick my neck out and share any of that. I get enough flak from the world for managing my medical condition with diet and lifestyle. Edit: There's also lots of interesting stuff about nutrition and state of mind in this discussion about nutrition and the prison population: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16140867#16141719 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16140867#16141719
  - CardenB 9y ago
    AFAIK, it's frequently linked to anxiety, and SSRIs do a good job of treating it.
- SherlockeHolmes 9y ago
  please oblige and expand on this “easy attribution”. To be clear, it bothers me when we wave away the really hard problems - while we become too enchanted with solutions that barely build on current technology. This company injects chemicals near your brain stem and lets your heart pump it into all minuscule parts of your brain. The apparent allure comes from the potential development of a technology some time in the future that will allow a reanimation of the person seated in that saved brain. the money they’ve raised so far is due to the possible improvements this proposed technology will bring to neuro research.
  - DoreenMichele 9y ago
    I already did: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16580722 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16580722
blt 9y ago
Any links to interesting sources about this?
- matte_black 9y ago
  Read the subreddit for DP/DR victims. Many tortured souls there.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
gf263 9y ago
I suffered this for... A month? I honestly can't remember. That whole time is unfortunately a blur. What triggered it for me was intense anxiety - I've read theories that DP/DR is your brains way of coping with extremely traumatic experiences, and retreats into itself. Fortunately for me, nothing of that sort happened to trigger my anxiety :) I've essentially fixed the anxiety with a lot of walking and meditation. I wouldn't wish the hell on my worst enemy. It can make depression seem desirable. From Reddit: "DPDR is just your brain's ways to help you survive a situation you're unable to escape/fight. It tries to make you unaware of what's going on so you can endure it until it's over. It isn't supposed to be permanent. DPDR itself isn't anything to fear."[0] [0]https://www.reddit.com/r/dpdr/comments/83vm5k/yikes_intense_dizziness_when_feeling_any_emotion/dvlxryw/ https://www.reddit.com/r/dpdr/comments/83vm5k/yikes_intense_...
RonanTheGrey 9y ago
I've experienced this as well. Incredibly disorienting, and yet honestly it is the most relaxed I have been in my entire life. It was nice, nothing mattering; nobody mattering; nothing. Freedom from the weight of my own mind, for just awhile. I've tried for years to recreate the effect with no success.
rajacombinator 9y ago
Interesting topic to ponder! Sadly will be written off in our age of pseudoscientism. If you want to explore further there are definitely ways to temporarily induce this state!

DoreenMichele 9y ago

Eh, easily attributed to brain chemistry and not necessarily anything woo.

matte_black 9y ago
There is no known cause. Or cure for that matter.
- DoreenMichele 9y ago
  That's not really a rebuttal of my point. I have a serious medical condition. I frequently suffer somatopsychic side effects. It's incredible what chemistry can make you feel. I happen to also believe in a lot of woo stuff. But the reality is that no known cause is not proof that there is a spiritual explanation or cause.
  - SherlockeHolmes 9y ago
    this isn’t an explanation. this is a very poor woman’s hypothesis. If you were to provide verifiable relationships between chemical imbalances and whatever relevant physical abnormalities in a brain and a person’s mental state, you’d be up for a nobel prize. to achieve this relationship, you’d first need to develop a quantifiable way to represent a person’s mental state. for which, you’d be up for another nobel prize.
    - DoreenMichele 9y ago
      Sorry you aren't satisfied. There's plenty of information out there about somatopsychic side effects and we know drugs alter mental states all the time. That's so well established, I find it laughable that anyone would even question it. I'm not very interested in seeking the Nobel Prize in this area. I am busy doing other things that I fantasize will lead to a Nobel Prize. Best.
      - SherlockeHolmes 9y ago
        I am sorry that I was not satisfied. Mind alterations are induced by drugs. Chemical imbalances influence the same. I just am not convinced that these evidences are enough. Thank you.
        DoreenMichele 9y ago
        If you are sincerely interested in the topic, starting by being dismissive and disrespectful of the individual you are addressing is not an effective means to start a good discussion. I did a research paper in high school on Functional Hypoglycemia. Chronic low blood sugar is known to promote anxiety and paranoia. I've blogged about managing various somatopsychic side effects with diet, such as eating oranges for the vitamin c while enduring random fits of rage to get that under control and eating beef with potatoes to mediate the salt lithium connection and calm bipolar-like mood swings. But I am not interested in fighting some uphill battle to convince a skeptic who is just pissing all over me with every reply. So I had no reason to stick my neck out and share any of that. I get enough flak from the world for managing my medical condition with diet and lifestyle. Edit: There's also lots of interesting stuff about nutrition and state of mind in this discussion about nutrition and the prison population: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16140867#16141719 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16140867#16141719
- CardenB 9y ago
  AFAIK, it's frequently linked to anxiety, and SSRIs do a good job of treating it.
SherlockeHolmes 9y ago
please oblige and expand on this “easy attribution”. To be clear, it bothers me when we wave away the really hard problems - while we become too enchanted with solutions that barely build on current technology. This company injects chemicals near your brain stem and lets your heart pump it into all minuscule parts of your brain. The apparent allure comes from the potential development of a technology some time in the future that will allow a reanimation of the person seated in that saved brain. the money they’ve raised so far is due to the possible improvements this proposed technology will bring to neuro research.
- DoreenMichele 9y ago
  I already did: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16580722 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16580722

blt 9y ago

Any links to interesting sources about this?

matte_black 9y ago
Read the subreddit for DP/DR victims. Many tortured souls there.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

gf263 9y ago

I suffered this for... A month? I honestly can't remember. That whole time is unfortunately a blur. What triggered it for me was intense anxiety - I've read theories that DP/DR is your brains way of coping with extremely traumatic experiences, and retreats into itself. Fortunately for me, nothing of that sort happened to trigger my anxiety :) I've essentially fixed the anxiety with a lot of walking and meditation. I wouldn't wish the hell on my worst enemy. It can make depression seem desirable. From Reddit: "DPDR is just your brain's ways to help you survive a situation you're unable to escape/fight. It tries to make you unaware of what's going on so you can endure it until it's over. It isn't supposed to be permanent. DPDR itself isn't anything to fear."[0] [0]https://www.reddit.com/r/dpdr/comments/83vm5k/yikes_intense_dizziness_when_feeling_any_emotion/dvlxryw/ https://www.reddit.com/r/dpdr/comments/83vm5k/yikes_intense_...

RonanTheGrey 9y ago

I've experienced this as well. Incredibly disorienting, and yet honestly it is the most relaxed I have been in my entire life. It was nice, nothing mattering; nobody mattering; nothing. Freedom from the weight of my own mind, for just awhile. I've tried for years to recreate the effect with no success.

rajacombinator 9y ago

Interesting topic to ponder! Sadly will be written off in our age of pseudoscientism. If you want to explore further there are definitely ways to temporarily induce this state!