disorientation n
1. a wild delusion (especially one induced by a hallucinogenic drug) [syn: freak out]
2. confusion (usually transient) about where you are and how to proceed; uncertainty as to direction; "his disorientation was the result of inattention"

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Orientation is a function of the mind involving awareness of three dimensions: time, place and person. Problems with orientation lead to disorientation, and can be due to various conditions, from delirium to intoxication. Typically, disorientation is first in time, then in place and finally in person.

The exact cerebral region involved in orientation is uncertain, but lesions of the brain stem and the cerebral hemispheres have been reported to cause disorientation, suggesting that they act together in maintaining awareness and its subfunction of orientation.

Disorientation is the opposite of orientation. It is a cognitive disability in which the senses of time, direction, and recognition of people and places become difficult to distinguish.

Disorientation can occur in hypermedia. It could be defined as "getting lost." For example, if someone tells you to "disorient yourself" they mean you need to leave or "get lost." This may be caused by both poor design of the interface, navigation and the inexperience of the user with the environment or the content.

• Mad Men Monday: "The Crash"
  From its opening shot — a scary, jumbled moment of a terrified Ken on a joyride with Chevy executives — this jarring, surreal “Mad Men” episode was about loss of control, and the disorientation that comes with it. Don, stymied by Chevy’s demands and plagued by a nagging Read more on this news related to 'Disorientation'
• 'I've spent my whole life being lost': Rare brain disorder leaves woman unable to find her way around - even in her ...
  Sharon Roseman, 64, from Littleton, Colorado, has developmental topographical disorientation, or DTD. The condition was first identified in 2008 and today there are about 1,000 known cases. Read more on this news related to 'Disorientation'
• Associated Press
  The triumphant view of runners making their final strides toward the finish line of the celebrated Boston Marathon on April 15, gave way to smoke, disorientation, and panic. Cheering turned quickly into shouts and screams. Read more on this news related to 'Disorientation'