The dissociation of a personality; a biographical study in abnormal psychology

590 Pages·2009·64.34 MB·English

PETER REILLY
DR. EUGENIA KETTERLINUS
19S9

THE DISSOCIATION OF
A PEESONALITY

THE DISSOCIATION OF
A PERSONALITY
A BIOGBAPHIOAL STUDY IN
ABXOESIAL PSYCHOLOGY
MORTON PRINCE, M.D.
LONCrMANS, GREEN, AND 00.
91 AMD 93 FIFTH AVESUE, NEW YOBK
LOSDON AND EOMBAY
1906
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Capt/Tighl, Z90S,
BT LOKQMANS, GBEBN, & Co.
PEEFACE
fT^BB present volume contains Parts I and II of a larger
-*- work, " Problems in Abnormal Psychology," but it is
complete in itself. It is ;i study of disintegrated person
ality, as exemplified by the very remarkable case of Miss
Beauelmmp. In this study I have (a) traced the develop
ment of the different personalities which originated through
the disiutegratiou of the noi-mal self, and (B) shown their
psychological relations to one another and to the normal
self. By giving (c) a detailed account of the daily life of
the pereonalities, after the manner of a biography, I have
sought to show their beliavior to the environmeut and the
way in which a disintegrated personality can adapt itself
to the eii-eumstances of life, and how it fails to do so.
Selections from recorded observations, many times in
number those here given, have been made use of with tlie
view of familiarizing the reader with the main phenomena,
so that when we come to consider in another volume the
psychological problems involved, we shall have a loiowl-
edge of the fundamental data. These phenomena have
been briefly discussed in this volume as an introduction
to a deeper study.
By departing from the customary way of treating these
phenomena and introducing them in the course of a
hiogmpliy, I have been enabled to present them" without
removing them from their psychological setting. This
method, too, has permitted not only greater latitude in
their presentation, but, it seems to me, will tend to give a
deeper meaning to the phenomena themselves and a better
appreciation of those normal and abnormal alterations of
the human mind which are met with in pi'actieal life.
While I have sought to interpret the various phenomena
observed in ways which seem to me to be the logical
inductions from the observations herein recorded, and from
the established data of abnormal psychology, my first aim
has been to secure the accuracy of the observations
A brief preliminary report of this case, under the title
of " The Problem of Multiple PersonaUty," was presented
at the International Congi'ess of Psychology, held in Paris,
August, 1900.
In Pai't III, which will be issued as a separate volume,
it is my present intention to discuss a series of problems
which will include;
(a) The theory of this ease and of disintegrated
(6) The Subconscious under normal and abnormal
conditions;
(c) Hypnosis, Sleep, Dreams, and Somnambulism;
(^d) Hysteria;
(B) Neurasthenic States;
(f) Alterations of Character;
(17) Hallucinations, Fixed Ideas, Aboulla, Amnesia, etc.