In 2007, 22-year-old graduate student Jason Werbeloff was out clubbing in Johannesburg when he noticed something strange: the right side of his friend’s face seemed stretched and distorted, almost like Silly Putty. When he blinked, the face returned to normal—only for the distortion to appear again.
Over the next few weeks, Werbeloff saw the same unsettling changes in nearly everyone he looked at: teeth elongating, features warping, even his own reflection appearing misshapen. Already struggling with poor facial recognition, he feared something deeper was wrong.
The cause was a rare brain disorder called prosopometamorphopsia, or “demon face syndrome,” which alters how faces are perceived. Living with it can be deeply distressing, often leading to anxiety, social withdrawal, and depression.
Click through the gallery to see how this rare neurological condition alters facial perception, revealing the science behind these unsettling distortions.