Dissociation isn't just some feeling that you feel "separate" from everyone else. Rather, it's a very alien, unsettling mental state. If you want to see what it feels like, one way I know of that sometimes induces it is to stare at yourself in a mirror for a really long time. The effect is only temporary, but in some people it becomes permanent (in which case it becomes a psychological disorder).
If anyone intends to try mirror gazing to induce a dissociative state, please be aware that it can also produce disturbing visual apparitions, particularly in low lighting: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20866001
Wow had no idea this was a studied phenomenon. I remember be g a preteen and this was a popular party trick to freak people out (effective too, so I heard).
Yes, it is an extremely unsettling feeling. Head trauma can also cause it. This is something I experienced recently. For about a week I was disconnected with my body and reality, a feeling like my soul had lost touch with the world, and it is not something I ever want to experience again. The anxiety this feeling causes is almost unbearable. It's difficult to explain, but if anyone has experienced ketamine, I would relate it to that. Head injuries are weird, I am still recovering 7 weeks later, but I am recovering well.
