Kandinsky–Clérambault syndrome

Not to be confused with Clerambault syndrome.

The Kandinsky–Clérambault syndrome, also known as the syndrome of mental automatism,^[2][1] is a psychopathological syndrome primarily associated with paranoid schizophrenia. It is characterised by pseudohallucinations, a delusion of being controlled by an external source, telepathy, thought broadcasting, and thought insertion by an external force.^[3][4]

Kandinsky–Clérambault syndrome
Other names	Syndrome of mental automatism[1]
Specialty	Psychiatry
Symptoms	pseudohallucinations, delusions, thought broadcasting, thought insertion

History

The Kandinsky–Clérambault syndrome remains relatively obscure in English-speaking countries and is mainly referenced by Russian, French, and German psychiatrists.^[5]

The syndrome was independently described by Victor Kandinsky, a Russian psychiatrist, and Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault, a French psychiatrist. Victor Kandinsky (1849–1889) was the first to document mental automatism based on his own subjective experiences during a psychotic episode. This was detailed in his posthumously published monograph, "On Pseudohallucinations" (Russian: О псевдогаллюцинациях), released in 1890 by his wife, Elizaveta Freimut. Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault (1872–1934) further developed the concept and introduced the term "mental automatism."^[5]

Clérambault syndrome

The Kandinsky–Clérambault syndrome differs from Clérambault syndrome, which is specifically associated with erotomania—a delusional belief that another person, often of higher social status, is in love with the individual experiencing the disorder.^[6]

Mental automatism

De Clérambault’s early research in 1909 focused on hallucinations, proposing that the mechanism of mental automatism could be responsible for hallucinatory experiences. He categorised mental automatism into three distinct types:^[6]

• Sensory (senestopathic): This type involves unpleasant sensations in internal organs attributed to external influence—delusions of physical influence.
• Motor (kinesthetic): This manifests as the belief that someone else controls one’s movements and actions.
• Sociale (ideatoric or ideoverbal): This involves disturbances in thought processes, such as derailment, loosening of associations, thought blocking, and flight of ideas, along with delusions of influence on mental processes (e.g., thought broadcasting).

All three forms may occur simultaneously, a phenomenon referred to as "triple automatism." Kandinsky described a state involving auditory hallucinations that were perceived to be "made by someone else," which he termed pseudohallucinations. Over time, Kandinsky found the term "pseudohallucinations" confusing and preferred terms such as "hallucinoid," "presentation," "illumination", and "illustration."^[6] He defined these experiences as vivid, subjective perceptions that closely resemble real hallucinations, yet lack objective reality. Kandinsky emphasised that these hallucinations were not simply products of imagination or memory, but were sensory, involuntary, and vivid.^[6]

Literature

Ian McEwan's novel Enduring Love has a victim of the syndrome, Jed Parry, as one of the protagonists. Parry targets and almost destroys the married life of the science journalist he falls in love with.^[7][8]