One or more episodes of amnesia in which the inability to recall some or all of one's past and either the loss of one's identity or the formation of a new identity occur with sudden, unexpected, purposeful travel away from home. The length of a fugue may range from hours to weeks or months, occasionally longer. During the fugue, the person may appear normal and attract no attention. The person may assume a new name, identity, and domicile and may engage in complex social interactions. However, at some point, confusion about his identity or the return of the original identity may make the person aware of amnesia or cause distress.
Many fugues appear to represent disguised wish fulfillment.
For example, a financially distressed executive leaves his hectic life and lives as a farm hand in the country. The fugue may remove the patient from an embarrassing situation or intolerable stress or may be related to issues of rejection or separation. Some fugues appear to protect the person from suicidal or homicidal impulses. The person often has no symptoms or is only mildly confused during the fugue. Failure to remember events of the fugue may cause confusion, distress, or even terror.