We all know someone who is a little “fragile.” Maybe they’re really thin and lanky. They do whatever they can to protect themselves from tripping, falling, or being roughed up. It’s as if they were made of glass. But I know, you know, and they know that they’re not.

…or do they?

This wouldn’t be completely out of the ordinary. The glass delusion is one of manyunique psychological disordersthat have fascinated psychologists throughout history.

What Is “Glass Delusion”?Glass Delusion in Medieval TimesWhy Did People Think They Were Made of Glass?Recent Cases of Glass DelusionWhat Is The Truth?

What Is “Glass Delusion”?

Glass Delusion in Medieval Times

Why Did People Think They Were Made of Glass?

Recent Cases of Glass Delusion

What Is The Truth?

In medieval times, believing you were made of glass was actually a common delusion among nobles. Science wasn’t that behind back then - people with the “glass delusion” were experiencing just that - a delusion. The glass delusion is one of psychology’s greatest mysteries, and certainly one of the more interesting delusions in history.

The 16th and 17th century was a time of great expansion in the Western World. European empires were starting to expand into North America and the nobles in those empires were gaining more power than ever. Big moments in art and culture happened during this time period: the Mona Lisa was painted, the Baroque period began, and experiments with glass changed the way that we view ourselves. Mirrors were invented at this time. Of course, mirrors are a part of our everyday life now, but at the time, they were considered to be more magical than practical.

During this time, history shows that a number of nobles developed the Glass Delusion. They believed that their physical bodies were made of glass. What is so odd about the Glass Delusion is that it was most common around this particular class of people. Not everyone in Medieval Times was wrapping themselves in blankets and carefully avoiding bumping into anything. Rich, scholarly people were most likely to experience this delusion.

Glass delusion shows up in plays and literature from this time period, including The Glass Graduate. Not all people afflicted with this delusion experienced it in the same way. Some believed that their entire bodies, from head to toe, were made of glass. Others believed that some of their internal organs were made of glass. Many men, like King Charles VI, specifically believed they had a glass butt. They even walked around with pillows strapped to their butts to avoid shattering their rear!

King Charles VI of France

These episodes included thinking he was Saint George and completely forgetting that he was the King of France. He didn’t recognize his wife sometimes. For months at a time, he would refuse to bathe or change his clothes. Entire books at the time were dedicated to the different delusions that King Charles VI suffered.

When it came to the glass delusion, King Charles VI was especially paranoid and careful. He wrapped himself up in blankets so that his butt would not break. He also had iron rods sewn into his clothing so that his body would not shatter if he bumped into another person.

Princess Alexandra Amelie

King Charles VI is the most famous example of someone experiencing Glass Delusion, but he is not the only royal who thought they were made of glass. Princess Alexandra Amelie was the daughter of the King of Bavaria. In the 1830s, the Princess was found walking very suspiciously through her home, avoiding contact with any object. When asked what was wrong, the Princess said that as a child, she had swallowed an entire grand piano made of glass. The piano was still within her body, she said. If she touched anything, the piano would shatter.

Princess Alexandra Ameliewas one of the later-known cases of Glass Delusion. Cases popped up here and there starting in the 1500s, but little to no cases were recorded after the 1840s.

Humorism was a study of medicine that started in Ancient Greece and Rome, and still influences our medicine today. The study was based around four “humors,” or bodily fluids that signalled some sort of mood or behavior within the body. The four humors were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.

But there is another characteristic of black bile that is particularly important to glass delusion. When black bile was heated up, experts believed it shined like glass. This connection is why many of today’s psychologists believe that glass delusion was a manifestation of sadness or paranoia.

Social Anxiety

Other psychologists believe that glass delusion was so common in the 16th and 17th century because glass and mirrors were such a new phenomenon. Throughout history, people have tied fear and delusion to new developments in technology or culture.

Which theory about Glass Delusion is true? It’s truly hard to say, especially because cases of glass delusion have been reported as recently as the 20th century. These cases were isolated - entire social classes weren’t affected like they were in medieval times. But they continue to add to the mystery of the condition.

In the centuries that followed the “outbreaks” of Glass Delusion, psychologists have learned a lot about the body and mind’s inner workings. We no longer believe that a black bile is what causesdepressionor anxiety. An overworked mind does not directly lead to a delusion that one is made of glass. So what is the truth behind the Glass Delusion?

Glass delusion continues to be a fascinating topic of conversation, discussed in psychology classes and ononline forumseverywhere! These are some of the most interesting stories in psychology - and show us that we still have a lot to learn about the workings of the mind.

Related posts:Skinner’s Box Experiment (Behaviorism Study)Looking Glass Self Theory10 Strange Psychological DisordersCarl Jung BiographyPhobias and Fear (50 Common Phobias List)

Reference this article:Practical Psychology. (2020, October).Glass Delusion (Bodies Made of Glass).Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/glass-delusion/.Practical Psychology. (2020, October). Glass Delusion (Bodies Made of Glass). Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/glass-delusion/.Copy

Reference this article:

Practical Psychology. (2020, October).Glass Delusion (Bodies Made of Glass).Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/glass-delusion/.Practical Psychology. (2020, October). Glass Delusion (Bodies Made of Glass). Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/glass-delusion/.Copy

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