A patient describes a period of 'losing time' and you want to establish whether this was a twilight state. Before revealing the answer, decide what you would ask about.

Ask about the onset and end of the episode — whether it began and ended suddenly, and whether the patient (or a witness) can identify a clear boundary between ordinary awareness and the episode itself, since this break in continuity is the defining feature. Ask a witness, if available, to describe the patient's behaviour during the episode, since twilight states characteristically involve relatively well-ordered behaviour rather than obvious confusion, which can make them easy to miss unless specifically asked about. Establish whether there is any memory at all for the episode afterwards, and ask about a history of epilepsy or other organic factors, while also considering whether unconscious psychological motives, rather than an organic process, might be driving the presentation — since a hysterical (dissociative) twilight state is a recognised, specific variety.