The dissociation of a personality : a biographical study in abnormal psychology / by Morton Prince.

  • Morton Prince
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The dissociation of a personality : a biographical study in abnormal psychology / by Morton Prince. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    indignantly repudiated the fact, declared it was not true, and that she had never smoked a cigarette in her life. The childlike expression on her face in the vision — Chris’s face — which she characterized as “ foolish ” also annoyed her. The ease with which visual hallucinations were induced in Miss Beauchamp indicated great suggestibility, a fact of considerable significance, as we shall see. For the present, however, we are concerned only with the indi- vidual characters of the hypnotic and subconscious states. Continuing the conversation about French novels and wickedness, Chris remarked laughingly, “She does not enjoy wickedness. I do. She thinks she is going to be a sister. She won’t as long as I am here.” “Why?” [With an expression of disgust on her face.] “I have a great objection to having nothing to eat, and doing things I am told to do, and going to church and being preached at. I have other things to do.” “ What?” [Laughing.] “To smoke cigarettes.” For the first two months after Chris’s appearance, she used to remain seated on a sofa before me with her eyes closed, as did B II. She early developed what at first appeared to be an inconsequential trick of rubbing her closed eyelids, as if to remove an uncomfortable feeling. When asked why she did this, she explained that she wanted to get her eyes open to see. She could not volun- tarily open her eyes, owing apparently to the original suggestion producing hypnosis, including as it did the idea of closure of the lids. Nevertheless, there was this difference between this personality and B II. The latter was ready to accept any reasonable suggestion without remonstrance, but Chris from the outset showed a will and individuality of her own, which were in no way sub-