Alice in Wonderland syndrome

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) is a neurological disorder that distorts perception. With over 60 associated symptoms, AIWS affects the sense of vision, sensation, touch, and hearing, as well as the perception of one's body image. The cause of AIWS is currently not known, but it has often been associated with migraines, head trauma, or viral encephalitis caused by Epstein–Barr Virus Infection. It is also theorized that AIWS can be caused by abnormal amounts of electrical activity, resulting in abnormal blood flow in the parts of the brain that process visual perception and texture. AIWS episodes vary in length from person to person. Episodes typically last from a few minutes to an hour, and each episode may vary in experience. People with AIWS often experience a feeling of disconnection from one's own body, feelings, thoughts, and environment known as depersonalization-derealization disorder. Drug and alcohol use can exacerbate this symptom and can use it into psychosis. A person affected by AIWS may also lose a sense of time, similar to the lack of spatial perspective brought on by Alice in Wonderland.