ABSTRACT
Our body is an essential component of our sense of self and the core of our identity as an individual. Distortions and misperceptions of the body are a central part of serious psychiatric conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder (Phillips, Didie, Feusner, & Wilhelm, 2008) and eating disorders (Treasure, Claudino, & Zucker, 2010), as well as other seemingly bizarre conditions, such as asomotagnosia in which half the body is perceived as absent (Critchley, 1953); somatoparaphrenia in which patients insist that one of their limbs belongs to somebody else (Vallar & Ronchi, 2009); phantom limbs in which in amputated limb is perceived as continuing to exist (Melzack, 1990); and body integrity identity disorder in which people express desire to have part of their body amputated (First, 2005). The way we represent our body has thus become an increasing focus of research in psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry.
