derealize
World becomes unreal
Derealize is to experience one's surroundings as unreal, dreamlike, or distorted—as if watching life through glass or fog.
The term belongs to psychology and psychiatry, describing a dissociative state where the external world feels strange or unfamiliar: During the panic attack, I started to derealize and everything looked flat and fake.
Related to but distinct from depersonalize, which concerns detachment from one's own body or self.
Detachment from one's identity
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- disconnectionState of being severed
- numbnessLoss of sensation
fog · haze · dreamlike · out-of-body · autopilot · floating · glazed · removed
Twisting from original state
- warpingBecoming bent or twisted
- flatteningReducing to evenness
- two-dimensionalHaving only two axes
- fishbowlSpherical aquatic pet container
muffled · dulled · heightened · shimmering · pulsing · wavering · blurred · sharpened
depersonalization
Detachment from one's identity
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- disconnectionState of being severed
numbness · fog · haze · dreamlike · out-of-body · autopilot · floating · glazed · removed · trancelike
distortion
Twisting from original state
- warpingBecoming bent or twisted
- flatteningReducing to evenness
- two-dimensionalHaving only two axes
fishbowl · muffled · dulled · heightened · shimmering · pulsing · wavering · blurred · sharpened · artificial
anxiety
Persistent apprehensive distress
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- traumaLasting psychological wound
- PTSDChronic reaction to horrific events
disorder · symptom · episode · trigger · grounding · therapy · CBT · recovery · coping · stress