I don't understand how you can literally have a picture of colored fibers produced in the skin by this phenomenon, and also blame it on a mental issue.
Am I missing something or is the author totally writing off the very empirical evidence he talks about?
How are you so sure those brightly-colored fibers were produced in someone's skin, when the prior probability strongly favors the explanation that they were rubbed off on someone's skin?
For a similar example, think about navel lint. Where does it come from, and why is it approximately the color of the shirts you've been wearing recently?
Am I missing something or is the author totally writing off the very empirical evidence he talks about?