This UK Woman Sees Dragons When She Looks at People: It sounds like something out of a fantasy novel: a woman walks into a room, looks around, and instead of seeing human faces, she sees dragon-like creatures staring back at her. This viral headline — “This UK Woman Sees Dragons When She Looks at People” — is not a work of fiction. It’s a real neurological condition that completely changed one woman’s perception of the world. She wasn’t delusional, possessed, or making it up. What she had was a rare brain disorder called Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO). Let’s break down this astonishing case in clear, everyday language that anyone can understand — from curious students to seasoned neurologists — while also providing the latest facts, research, and practical advice.
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This UK Woman Sees Dragons When She Looks at People
Seeing dragons in the real world isn’t just a fantasy—it’s a neurological phenomenon. Prosopometamorphopsia, though rare, reveals how intricate and delicate our facial recognition systems truly are. With growing awareness, modern brain imaging, and compassionate care, patients living with PMO can find answers, relief, and a chance at a normal life—one face at a time.
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Condition | Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) – a rare visual perception disorder |
| Symptoms | Faces appear distorted—sometimes as animals or mythical creatures like dragons |
| Known Cases | Fewer than 100 documented globally |
| Main Cause | Lesions or dysfunction in brain’s facial recognition area |
| Diagnosis | MRI, EEG, patient-reported visual distortions |
| Treatment | Rivastigmine, valproic acid, psychotherapy, and visual therapy |
| Psychological Effects | Social withdrawal, anxiety, misreading of emotions |
| Related Disorders | Prosopagnosia, Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, visual hallucinations |
| Authoritative Source | Wikipedia – Prosopometamorphopsia |
What Is Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO)?
Prosopometamorphopsia — yeah, it’s a mouthful — is a neurological condition that causes the brain to distort how it sees human faces. Someone with PMO doesn’t hallucinate things that aren’t there. Instead, when they look at a real face, their brain changes how it looks. It’s like applying a creepy, glitchy Snapchat filter — only you can’t turn it off.
For the woman in question (a 52-year-old living in The Hague, Netherlands), people didn’t just look off. Their faces actually transformed into dragon-like figures, complete with greenish skin, protruding eyes, and distorted ears. In her own words:
“I knew they weren’t real. But that didn’t stop me from seeing them.”
The Science Behind This UK Woman Sees Dragons When She Looks at People
Human beings are wired to recognize faces. We’re actually face experts. Our brain has a special region called the fusiform face area (FFA) that helps us detect faces, identify people, and read emotions.
But when this area gets disrupted — say, by a lesion, seizure, or birth-related brain damage — the entire facial processing system can misfire.
Here’s What Happens in PMO:
- The eyes send normal visual signals to the brain.
- Somewhere along the line (usually in the temporal or occipital lobes), those signals get scrambled.
- The result? Faces appear warped, animated, or transformed.
In the woman’s case, doctors found white matter abnormalities — possibly due to oxygen deprivation at birth. These silent defects remained unnoticed until she began having intense visual distortions later in life.
Not Just Dragons: The Range of Distortions
While “dragon faces” made headlines, the reality of PMO is more nuanced. Different patients report:
- Elongated mouths
- Swollen or missing eyes
- Melting facial features
- Grotesque or animalistic distortions
- Faces appearing as if made of clay, rubber, or digital glitches
Some people report that the distortions only happen in one eye. Others experience it all the time or only in certain lighting. A few even see warped images on screens or in total darkness — meaning the brain is overriding input with distorted memory.
Case in Detail: The Woman Who Saw Dragons
Published in Live Science, the woman had suffered from strange visions for over three decades. She was fully aware of what she saw and knew it wasn’t real — but it didn’t stop the terrifying distortions.
The hallucinations were consistent: the same person would appear the same way every time she saw them. For instance, her husband’s “dragon face” had unique reptilian traits that never changed.
She reported additional symptoms:
- Visual distortions coming out of walls, screens, or sockets
- Panic attacks in social settings
- Embarrassment from reacting to “faces” others didn’t see
Eventually, she was diagnosed with PMO, and prescribed valproic acid. The symptoms eased briefly, but the side effects were too intense. Doctors then tried rivastigmine, a drug typically used to treat Alzheimer’s — and it helped reduce her symptoms with fewer side effects.
How PMO Is Diagnosed?
Since there’s no “dragon detector” in standard medical kits, diagnosis involves a mix of science and storytelling. Doctors rely heavily on what the patient sees and how they describe it.
Diagnostic Steps:
- Detailed Symptom History
Patients are asked to describe the distortions. Doctors often use facial illustrations to help visualize what the patient sees. - Brain Imaging (MRI or CT scan)
Used to check for lesions, tumors, or white matter damage. - EEG (Electroencephalogram)
Detects unusual brain wave activity, often linked to seizures. - Psychiatric Screening
Rules out schizophrenia, psychosis, or visual hallucinations from drugs or trauma.
Treatment Options for This UK Woman Sees Dragons When She Looks at People
While there is no universal cure for PMO, several therapies and medications can help reduce the symptoms.
Common Treatments:
- Rivastigmine – Improves memory and cognitive functions; reduces visual distortions in some cases.
- Valproic Acid – An anti-seizure drug that stabilizes neural activity.
- Vision Therapy – Helps retrain the brain to interpret visual signals more accurately.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Addresses anxiety, stress, and emotional response to the condition.
- Lifestyle Changes – Avoiding triggers like fatigue, bright lights, or stress.
Each case is different, and what works for one person may not help another. Some patients learn to “look past” distortions, while others rely on medications to manage daily life.
How Rare Is PMO?
This isn’t something your local eye doctor sees every day. According to Wikipedia, there are fewer than 100 documented cases of PMO worldwide.
Compare that with:
- Prosopagnosia (face blindness) – affects about 2.5% of people
- Schizophrenia – affects around 1% of the global population
- Epilepsy – affects 50 million people worldwide
PMO is one of the rarest visual perception disorders, which means doctors often misdiagnose it or overlook it entirely.
Related Disorders: What PMO Is Not
It’s important to differentiate PMO from other visual or psychological disorders.
| Disorder | Main Feature |
|---|---|
| Prosopagnosia | Inability to recognize familiar faces |
| Charles Bonnet Syndrome | Vivid hallucinations in people with vision loss |
| Alice in Wonderland Syndrome | Objects or people appear drastically smaller or larger |
| Visual Hallucinations (Psychosis) | Seeing things that don’t exist at all |
| PMO | Distortion of real faces while retaining recognition and awareness |
The key thing with PMO: The person knows what they see is incorrect, but they can’t stop it.
Living With PMO: Tips & Strategies
For patients and families dealing with PMO, the first step is education. It’s scary, confusing, and isolating at first — but support is possible.
Advice for Patients:
- Track Triggers: Keep a symptom journal. Look for patterns (e.g., lighting, stress, fatigue).
- Communicate Clearly: Explain to friends and doctors what you see — use pictures or sketches.
- Seek Medical Help Early: The earlier the diagnosis, the better the outcome.
- Practice Grounding Techniques: Learn to remind yourself what’s real.
- Lean on Support Networks: Online communities, Facebook groups, and forums can provide shared experiences.
Advice for Families:
- Believe Them: Don’t dismiss what they’re seeing as “crazy” or imaginary.
- Learn the Science: Understanding PMO helps you support without judgment.
- Help With Doctor Visits: Be an advocate, especially when the condition is misunderstood.
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Why This Case Matters: Beyond One Woman
The story of the woman who saw dragons isn’t just a fascinating medical mystery. It teaches us about:
- The power and fragility of the brain
- How visual perception is constructed, not passive
- The importance of listening to patients
- Why rare disorders deserve research funding and awareness
It also reminds us that our reality is subjective — what we “see” is built by our brain, not just our eyes.
