Bo Burnham’s Netflix Special ‘Inside’ Dared Us All to Google ‘Derealization,’ Here’s What We Found

This weekend Netflix released a new comedy special called Bo Burnham: Inside, and it left a distinct mark on the Google Trends page. In one song closer to the end of the special, Burnham mentioned “Googling ‘derealization,’ hating what you find.” It turns out, many users did just that.

Burnham mentioned the psychological phenomenon of derealization in a soulful folk song about 2020, which was in keeping with the themes of the rest of the special. It also followed Burnham’s other mentions of his own deteriorating mental health and experiences of depression, anxiety and dissociation. For those following his warning and looking for a definition, here’s what “derealization” really means.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “derealization” is a symptom of several dissociative mental health disorders including “depersonalization-derealization disorder” and “occipital-temporal dysfunction.” It is the sudden onset of an intense feeling that the external world is unreal, distant, distorted or false in some way. It can also manifest as a feeling that the world is predictable, emotionless or lacking in spontaneity, color and depth.

Derealization is generally brought on by moments of severe stress. It is a subjective change in personal perception, but it has real and alarming effects. It is often accompanied by “depersonalization” — a similar shift in the sufferer’s perception of their own body.

These symptoms can also be caused by medical conditions, including seizures, dementia, schizophrenia, panic attacks of drug abuse. Burnham discussed his experience of panic attacks near the end of the special as well, explaining that they were the reason he has not put out a special in the last five years.

Many sufferers of derealization expressed shock at hearing it mentioned by Burnham on social media this weekend, while others reported an eerie familiarity when they read about the symptom. Some shared resources for seeking treatment or managing the symptom on their own. They also advised others on how to help mitigate the effects on loved ones experience derealization.

This was just one of the dark moments in Inside that awed and captivated audiences this weekend. The special was written, filmed and edited completely by Burnham in his home during the coronavirus pandemic, and while it contains many sardonic songs of the kind he is known for, it also ranges further into confessional darkness than any of his previous material has. Inside is streaming now on Netflix.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.