>>2641740Now, if only - if only! - somebody vandalized the real wiki article…
Truman Show Delusion
The Truman Show Delusion is a type of monothematic delusion in which an individual believes their life is a staged reality for the entertainment of others, likening their existence to the 1998 film The Truman Show. First identified by brothers Joel and Ian Gold, psychiatrists at McGill University, the delusion is characterized by a pervasive, unshakable conviction that one's surroundings, relationships, and daily events are elaborately fabricated by hidden directors, often with oneself as the unwitting central character.
While primarily studied as a clinical psychiatric phenomenon, the conceptual framework has been used metaphorically by historians and cultural critics to analyze certain paranoid belief systems held by Western observers in authoritarian states, particularly during the Cold War in communist countries. A notable example is the belief among some tourists, diplomats, and journalists that entire portions of communist societies—including cities, shops, and public events—were meticulously staged Potemkin villages populated by paid actors, designed solely to deceive foreigners about the success and popularity of the communist system.
Characteristics and Symptoms
In its clinical form, individuals with Truman Show Delusion report:
A belief that they are under constant surveillance via hidden cameras.
Conviction that friends, family, and strangers are "actors" following a script.
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