Résumé
Space and time perception are fundamentally inescapable features of all our conscious perceptions. Depersonalization (DP) is a very common condition characterized by distressing feelings of estrangement from the self and the external world [1,2]. Previous work showed that peripersonal space perception is disrupted in schizophrenia but not in DP (3), on the other hand, time perception is disrupted both in DP and schizophrenia. Why this asymmetry? Is time perception more central to the sense of self than space perception? To better understand the specificities of DP, a comprehensive picture of time and space perception disruptions in this population is needed. To address this gap, we have conducted an online study (N = 1034) investigating the relation between HIGH DP traits measured by the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS > 50) [5] and altered subjective experiences of body, time, and space perception. The results demonstrated significant relationships between HIGH DP scores and distorted experiences of time, body and space. Looking at the shared variance between CDS facets “Anomalous Body Experience”, we found that altered body perception remains the most important predictor of spatiotemporal disruption experiences, with a slowing of subjective perception of time. Altogether, these results suggest that the distorted spatiotemporal experiences observed in DP may mainly come from experiences of estrangement from the bodily self. Thus, the body sets the pace of inner felt subjectivity. Our work calls for further investigations linking DP to disruption of internal/external clock and also in relation to active movements in the world.