Facial Distortions and Prosopometamorphopsia | Brad Duchaine (Rebroadcast)
Sun Nov 09 2025
In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, Brad Duchaine from the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at Dartmouth discusses prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) – a condition where individuals see distorted faces.
The episode explores various manifestations of PMO, including seeing demonic features, dragons, or entirely different faces, and distinguishes it from prosopagnosia (face blindness). It delves into the neurological basis of PMO, touching upon structural and functional differences in the brains of those affected.
We discuss the significant impact PMO and prosopagnosia have on individuals' social interactions and quality of life, as well as potential management techniques such as using glasses or colored lights to reduce distortions.
Chapters:
[00:00] Introduction and Guest Presentation
[00:20] Exploring the Case of Face Distortion
[03:19] Understanding the Nature of Distortions
[05:49] Comparing Prosopagnosia and PMO
[07:17] The Role of Visual System in Face Recognition
[10:01] Impact of Face Recognition on Social Interactions
[14:16] The Spectrum of Face Recognition Abilities
[16:20] The Role of AI and Hallucinations in Face Recognition
[23:48] Understanding the Diagnosis of Face Recognition Disorders
[30:20] Understanding Prosopagnosia: Prevalence and Characteristics
[31:59] The Mystery of PMO: Prevalence and Need for More Research
[32:46] Exploring the Impact of Prosopagnosia and PMO on Social and Sexual Relationships
[33:23] The Intersection of PMO and Other Psychiatric Conditions
[37:03] The Struggles and Challenges of Living with Prosopagnosia and PMO
[41:02] Potential Treatments and Coping Mechanisms for PMO
[51:22] The Neurological Basis of PMO and Prosopagnosia
[54:51] Testing and Characterizing PMO: A Deep Dive into Research Methods
[59:54] Understanding the Perception and Processing of Faces in PMO
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In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, Brad Duchaine from the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at Dartmouth discusses prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) – a condition where individuals see distorted faces. The episode explores various manifestations of PMO, including seeing demonic features, dragons, or entirely different faces, and distinguishes it from prosopagnosia (face blindness). It delves into the neurological basis of PMO, touching upon structural and functional differences in the brains of those affected. We discuss the significant impact PMO and prosopagnosia have on individuals' social interactions and quality of life, as well as potential management techniques such as using glasses or colored lights to reduce distortions. Chapters: [00:00] Introduction and Guest Presentation [00:20] Exploring the Case of Face Distortion [03:19] Understanding the Nature of Distortions [05:49] Comparing Prosopagnosia and PMO [07:17] The Role of Visual System in Face Recognition [10:01] Impact of Face Recognition on Social Interactions [14:16] The Spectrum of Face Recognition Abilities [16:20] The Role of AI and Hallucinations in Face Recognition [23:48] Understanding the Diagnosis of Face Recognition Disorders [30:20] Understanding Prosopagnosia: Prevalence and Characteristics [31:59] The Mystery of PMO: Prevalence and Need for More Research [32:46] Exploring the Impact of Prosopagnosia and PMO on Social and Sexual Relationships [33:23] The Intersection of PMO and Other Psychiatric Conditions [37:03] The Struggles and Challenges of Living with Prosopagnosia and PMO [41:02] Potential Treatments and Coping Mechanisms for PMO [51:22] The Neurological Basis of PMO and Prosopagnosia [54:51] Testing and Characterizing PMO: A Deep Dive into Research Methods [59:54] Understanding the Perception and Processing of Faces in PMO