The "Walking Corpse" Delusion: When You Believe You're Already Dead

Named after French neurologist Jules Cotard, who first described it in 1880, this rare delusion can manifest with varying severity, from believing parts of one's body are missing to a full conviction of non-existence or immortality. Sufferers may refuse to eat, believing they don't need nourishment, or deny their own existence entirely. While often linked to severe depression, schizophrenia, or brain injury, the exact neural mechanisms are still being researched, potentially involving altered self-perception and emotional processing within the brain.