Nature Scientific Reports: Depersonalisation & the Bodily Self
·6 min read
Overview
This research investigated how depersonalisation influences the experience of the bodily self during both waking and dreaming states. The project was part of Dr Jane Aspell's Self & Body Lab at Anglia Ruskin University.
Depersonalisation is characterised by feelings of detachment from one's own body, thoughts and emotions — a sense of being an outside observer of oneself. This study examined whether these alterations to body and self experience during waking life also manifest during dreaming.
Key Findings
The research explored the relationship between depersonalisation traits and changes to:
- Body ownership and agency during waking states
- Dream phenomenology and bodily self-representation during sleep
- The connection between waking dissociative experiences and dream content
Publication
The findings were published in Nature Scientific Reports in 2024:
Related Events
- (April 2023) Living in a Dream — Cambridge Festival event
- (July 2022) ASSC 25, Amsterdam — poster presentation "Living in a Dream"
- (April 2022) Phenomenological Methods in Neuroscience & Consciousness Research, Zurich — poster presentation "Living in a Dream"
- (April 2022) Cambridge Festival interactive exhibit "Generating the Foundations of Self"
Research Team
- Research Lead: Matt Gwyther (Anglia Ruskin University)
- Supervisor: Dr Jane Aspell (Anglia Ruskin University)