The Rare Disorder That Inspired 'Alice In Wonderland'—Explained

If you've read or watched 'Alice in Wonderland,' then you already know how bizarre her journey was. What you might not know, however, is the psychological disorder that her journey mirrors.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | January 06, 2025

Perhaps you've read Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking-Glass, or maybe you grew up watching the 1951 or 2010 film adaptations. Either way, almost everyone knows Alice—the curious young girl who followed a dapperly dressed rabbit into a burrow, and tumbled her way down to Wonderland.

If you're familiar with Alice in Wonderland, then you're already aware of the logic-defying nature of the story, the surreal visuals and its eccentric characters. These elements have spurred much speculation about Carroll's inspiration.

However, according to psychological research, there's reason to believe a rare neurological disorder might have been the true muse behind Carroll's story—one that has since been named "Alice in Wonderland syndrome."

Lewis Carroll's 'Migraine Aura Symptoms'

Lewis Carroll kept detailed diaries, some of which have since been published. Should you read his entries, you'll notice frequent musings about his experience of migraines—some so debilitating that they impacted his eyesight.

On January 12th, 1856, Carroll wrote about seeking help for a persistent blurry spot that clouded his vision. "Consulted Mr Bowman, the oculist, about my right eye: he does not seem to think anything can be done to remedy it, but recommends me not to read long at a time, nor at the railway, and to keep to large type by candlelight," he writes.

According to research from The Lancet, this blurry spot was almost certainly a "migraine aura symptom"—one his oculist failed to diagnose, let alone recognize.

Migraine auras, according to research from Neurocase, are short-term neurological symptoms some individuals experience before a migraine. For many, these aura symptoms include visual hallucinations, perceptual distortions and most unsettlingly, a profound alteration in the perception of space and time. When clustered together, these symptoms are collectively known as "Alice in Wonderland syndrome" (AIWS).

As explained in a systematic review from Neurology: Clinical Practice, these broader visual and perceptual symptoms often manifest in phenomenologically similar yet disorienting ways. And—as the disorder's apt name suggests—many of these peculiar symptoms match much of what Alice experienced after stumbling her way into Wonderland.

Here are four such symptoms of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome that may have inspired the story.

1. Micropsia

Micropsia, one of the most common symptoms of AIWS, is a visual hallucination. Specifically, this symptom creates the illusion that objects in one's visual field are much smaller than they actually are in reality.

Micropsia is most famously depicted in Alice in Wonderland (1951) when Alice drinks from the "Drink Me" bottle and begins to rapidly shrink. Although her body diminishes in size, her surroundings seemingly remain the same; ultimately, this causes her perception of the room to warp dramatically, making her escape from the room much more challenging.

The once-manageable table and key suddenly seem impossibly high up, far out of her reach. The table, though actually unchanged in size, is now a towering obstacle for her—which forced her to climb to interact with it.

This visual shift closely mirrors how individuals with micropsia might perceive everyday objects; ordinary items become miniature, yet they feel monumental in relation to their distorted sense of self.

2. Macropsia

In contrast to micropsia, macropsia distorts vision by making objects appear much larger than they are. Although it may be antithetical to micropsia, it can be just as bewildering.

Once again, this symptom can be seen both times in which Alice eats the "Eat Me" cake in her titular film, after which she grows to an enormous size. While inside the White Rabbit's house, her rapid growth transforms the small cottage into a stifling prison.

Objects like the windows, walls and doors seem to shrink as Alice becomes increasingly aware of her own exaggerated size. The visual incongruence creates a sense of claustrophobia—for both Alice and the viewers—as though the entire house is closing in on her.

This exaggerated perspective illustrates how individuals experiencing macropsia may feel overwhelmed by their environment, despite nothing truly changing in reality. Without warning, ordinary spaces and objects may suddenly "grow" uncomfortably large and oppressive.

3. Pelopsia

Pelopsia is a symptom of AIWS that distorts an individual's depth perception, rather than objects' relative sizes. Specifically, pelopsia entails objects seeming much nearer than they really are—uncomfortably so.

One of the most striking instances of pelopsia can be observed when Alice is lost in the Tulgey Wood. As she wanders through the forest, bizarre creatures and objects seem to materialize merely inches from her face—only to retreat into the shadows or vanish entirely.

For instance, a pair of glowing eyes and a grinning mouth emerge from the darkness; they appear startlingly close, before revealing themselves to be part of a strange, playful bird.

This kind of perceptual distortion echoes the experience of pelopsia. Objects or figures that should feel at a comfortable distance instead will invade one's visual field, ultimately resulting in a claustrophobic sense of spatial intrusion.

4. Telopsia

Telopsia, on the other hand, causes objects to appear farther away than they are in reality. Frustratingly, this can lead to a sense of distance—even if you're well within reach of the object.

This symptom is vividly portrayed when Alice chases the White Rabbit down the hallway—early on in the film after she floats her way down the rabbit hole. As she desperately tries to catch up with him, the end of the hallway only becomes more elusive; twists, turns, rooms and doors seemingly manifest out of nowhere.

The longer she runs, the further the White Rabbit seems from her reach. This visual distortion only compounds her frustration and confusion as she navigates her entry into Wonderland.

For those with AIWS, telopsia can create an exasperating disconnection from their surroundings. Objects or spaces will feel as though they're just beyond their grasp, despite them being physically close in actuality.

Lewis Carroll's beloved portrayal of Wonderland—a world filled with distorted realities, dream-like perceptions and disorienting spaces—may well have been a reflection of his own experiences with migraine aura symptoms.

For Carroll, these transient, yet deeply unsettling, perceptual alterations may have been the inspiration for Alice's jarring journey. And for those familiar with AIWS, Alice's experiences may feel eerily familiar—a world where perception itself becomes unreliable, and nothing is quite as it seems.

While "Alice in Wonderland" accurately portrays the experience of AIWS, many films misrepresent psychological concepts. Take the science-backed Psychological Misconception Questionnaire to learn if you've been misled by Hollywood's portrayals of psychology.

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.