The Disorder of the Walking Corpse

People with Cotard syndrome genuinely believe they are dead, missing organs, or even non-existent. Surprisingly, over half of these patients suffer from the exact opposite delusion: they believe they are immortal.

This rare condition tricks the brain into rejecting the reality of one's own physical body. Patients might claim their blood has dried up or their skin is rotting away, despite being perfectly healthy. While the death delusion is famous, many others experience a paradoxical feeling of living forever. Doctors believe it often stems from severe neurological or psychological trauma that disconnects the mind from bodily sensations.