Strange Case of a Man Seeing Distorted Faces
Imagine waking up one winter morning, only to see the faces of everyone you know distorted and grotesque. This is the reality for Victor Sharrah, a 59-year-old man from Nashville, USA. Victor suffers from a rare condition called Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO), which causes him to perceive the faces of others as deformed and abnormal.
The Distorted Reality
Victor Sharrah recalls the moment when his friends and loved ones started to appear with wrinkled faces, elongated eyes, and deep scars. Their features seemed to transform into grotesque forms, resembling creatures from horror movies. “It’s like waking up to a world of demons,” Victor explained. Despite his attempts to explain what he was experiencing, his friend dismissed it as madness.
Prosopometamorphopsia: A Rare Disorder
Prosopometamorphopsia is a rare condition that affects the way individuals perceive the structure, position, and coloration of faces. However, it does not affect other objects or body parts. Unlike prosopagnosia, or “face blindness,” which makes it difficult for individuals to recognize familiar faces, PMO distorts the faces themselves.
For individuals with PMO, familiar faces may appear distorted in a generalized or bizarre manner. In some cases, individuals have grown up believing that faces indeed look this way. Some individuals with PMO may even perceive their own faces as deformed. However, the disorder does not extend to other body parts.
A Global Phenomenon
Only a few documented cases of PMO exist, with The Lancet medical journal reporting about Victor Sharrah’s case. However, there might be many others living with this condition globally, unaware that others share their experiences. Brad Duchaine, a psychologist and the author of a study published in The Lancet, stated that they have created a website for people to learn about PMO and have received responses from at least 80 individuals facing similar symptoms.
Seeking Solutions
Victor Sharrah has been working closely with doctors Duchaine and Mello at Dartmouth’s research laboratory to explore various intervention methods to alleviate or reverse PMO symptoms. One approach involves modifying colors to either enhance or reduce distortion. For example, looking at green light has been found to reduce symptoms, while red light exacerbates the condition. Using tinted lenses, such as green lenses, has shown promise in countering PMO symptoms and reducing facial distortions.
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