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Stanley G. Smith, Ph.D., is affiliated with the department of who displayed both human and non-human alters orsubper Psychology, Mississippi State University and the Choctaw sonalities and met the DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric As Community Mental Health Center, Philadelphia, Missis sociation, 1987) criteriafor MPD. Data are presented on the sippi. hypnotic susceptibility and visual acuity of the alters, the developmental process of the individual's MPD, and treat For reprints write Stanley G. Smith, Ph.D., Department of ment of the alters in the course of the psychotherapy. Psychology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762 METHOD Subject ABSTRACT The subject was a 70 year old male of Native American ancestry. While a more detailed description of his tribal Clinical data arepresented on a NativeAmericanpatientdiagnosed affiliations would be of considerable psychological and an with multiple personality disorder. Eleven subpersonalities were thropological interest, it is omitted in deference to consid found to contain four human and seven non-human components. erations ofconfidentiality. He was a traditional Indian herb Findings indicated child abuse was at the core ofthe developmental alist (a highly esteemed form of medicine man) by profes process. However, once alter components manifested themselves, sion and a full blooded member ofa Native American tribe. culturalfactors reinforced and maintained the process. Evaluation In addition to his presenting personality, the subject dis ofhypnotic susceptibility indicated all subpersonalities were highly played four human alters: a male warrior (Man Killer), a hypnotizable. Analysis ofvisual acuity on two occasions, separated male child (Small One), a female (Moon Walker), and an l7y 30 days, indicated significant differences amonga numberofthe elderly male (Old One). He also displayed seven animal alters, i.e., 20/15 to 20/50. Test/retest scores indicated the visual alters: a male snake (Snake), a male wolf (Wolf), a male owl acuity scores were highly reliable. Evaluationofneurosensory memory (Bad Spirit), a female black panther (Pretty One), a male on two occasions, separated l7y 30 days, indicated significant turtle (Power), a male bear (Great One), and a male hawk differences in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic test results for some (Wind Spirit). The subject presented himselffor treatment ofthe alters. Test/retest scores indicated the neurosensory test results . were highly reliable. The results are discussed in terms ofa) implica tion oftest differences, b) the reliability oftest results, and c) treatment TABLE 1 problems encountered with human and animal subpersonalities. Hypnotic Induction Profile Scores for Subpersonalities Multiple personality disorder (MPD) is an increasingly well documented and researched phenomena (Braun, 1986; Hypnotic Induction Profile Scores Kluft, 1985). Reports ofMPD date beyond the 17th century (Quen, 1986). These early reports included descriptions of Personality HIP Score shamans who exhibited dissociatively-based animal alter egos; i.e., MPD subpersonalities (Carlson, 1986). Unfortu Man Killer 9 nately, today's clinicians have difficulty assessing reports Small One 9 from an era in which neither the medical nor psychological Old One 9 sciences could reliably distinguish those who suffered MPD Moon Walker 9 from individuals affected by other diagnostic categories Snake 9 (Kluft, 1986). Additionally, no major published modern Wolf 9 scientific literature exists on cases ofMPD with animal alters. Bad Spirit 9 If such existed it would provide: a) support for the earlier Pretty One 9 reports; b) important insight into the cultural or environ Power 9 mental learning factors which contribute to the develop Great One 9 ment ofalters; and c) a broader base for understanding the Wind Spirit 9 general nature of the MPD phenomenon. The current clinical report describes a single individual 52 after the internal fighting between human and animal alters alters ofsubpersonalities varied according to age; e.g., Small became so extreme that it interfered with his ability to OneT-1=20/20 to Old One (elderly) T-1-20/50.Among the perform healing rites. The treatment plan (personality inte animal subpersonalities it appeared that scores were inde gration) was a decision made by the subject after a long non pendent of age and appeared related to traditional Native directive discussion ofculturalvalues, the nature ofdissocia American assumptions ofvisual ability; e.g., Bad Spirit (Owl) tion, and multiple personality disorder. T-1=20/40 to Wind Spirit (Hawk) T-1=20/15. Analysis of SSLC-T-1 scores between subpersonalities indicated signifi Procedure cant differences for the base or 20/20 ratings and all other A hypnosis-free baseline period was allowed to deter scores, 1(5)=2.96, 12<.04. Thus, a marked difference in visual mine the number and history of the subpersonalities. Fol acuity existed among a number of the alters. Comparison lowing this baseline period the Hypnotic Induction Profile between test-1 and test-2 for SSLC reliability indicated no or HIP (Spiegel & Spiegel, 1978) for hypnotic susceptibility significant difference, Wt(10)=0, z=0.89, p>.37. Thus, SSLC was administered to each alter. In the next sessions the Snellen Scale Letter Chart (SSLC) for visual acuity was administered to each ofthe subpersonalities at a distance of 20 feet. To test for reliability, the SSLC was readministered TABLE 2 30 days after completion of the first SSLC test series. To Snellen Scale Scores for Subpersonalities evaluate neurosensory learning systems and recall a neu rosensory test (Smith, 1978) was administered to assess the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic memory of each of the Snellen Scale Scores alters. Thirty days after the initial neurosensory evaluations, the testwas readministered. Finally, hypnotherapy was insti Personality SSLC Score tuted for more detailed background information and treat ment. Man Killer Tl= 20/20 T2= 20/20 Statistical analysis employed the t-test for paired meas Small One Tl= 20/20 T2= 20/20 ures and Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test for related data. Old One Tl= 20/50 T2= 20/40 Moon Walker Tl= 20/20 T2= 20/20 Results and Discussion Snake Tl= 20/50 T2= 20/50 The results for the subpersonalities' HIP tests are shown Wolf Tl= 20/20 T2= 20/20 in Table 1. The data indicated that all alters scored 9 on the Bad Spirit Tl= 20/40 T2= 20/50 HIP. Pretty One Tl= 20/20 T2= 20/20 These results indicated all subpersonalities were highly Power Tl= 20/40 T2= 20/40 hypnotizable and as such highly capable of demonstrating Great One Tl= 20/20 T2= 20/20 dissociative phenomena. Wind Spirit Tl= 20/15 T2= 20/15 The results for the Snellen Scale Letter Chartare shown in Table 2. The data indicated scores among the human TABLE 3 Neurosensory Memory Recall Scores for subpersonalities Test 1 Test 2 Vis. Aud. Kin. Vis. Aud. Kin. Personality Man Killer 9.3 7.6 10 9.5 7.8 10 Small One 10 8.1 10 9.5 7.8 10 Old One 5.1 4.6 7.5 5.3 3.8 7.2 Moon Walker 10 10 10 10 10 10 Snake 3.6 5.4 10 2.7 5.4 10 Wolf 5.1 10 10 2.7 5.4 10 Bad Spirit 5.4 7.8 9.3 5.6 8.1 8.8 Pretty One 10 10 10 10 10 10 Power 10 10 10 10 10 10 Great One 5.6 5.6 10 5.8 5.8 10 Wind Spirit 10 10 10 10 10 10 53 DISSOCLmo~, Vol. 2. ~o.l: jlarch 1989 scores for subpersonalities were reliable over time across defensively managed the assaults with repeated turtle disso tests. ciations. At chronological age 5, Small One observed an Results for the neurosensory tests are shown in Table 3. Indian herbalist grinding up a turtle shell for use in treat Neurosensory visual scores for T-l or T-2 indicated they did ment. Shortly after, an adult male member of the family not differ significantly (12).05) among those in the high contracted cancer and became bedridden. Small One re range for Man Killer, Small One, Moon Walker, Pretty One, counted approaching the man, dissociating into the turtle, Power, and Wind Spirit. Similarly, alters' visual score did not and touching the man. This occurred on several occasions, differ (12).04) in the average range for Old One, Wolf, Bad and within a short time the man was up walking and physi Spirit, and Great One. One subpersonality, Snake, was in the cians reported he was in remission. Small One reported he low range. Statistical comparisons for alters in the high, was given a place of honor in the family, e.g., the mother average, and low visual ranges indicated they differ signifi began telling of a rainbow on his forehead at birth-a sign cantly (}2<.01). Thus, visual neurosensory recall ability dif of great Indian medicine power. His family and neighbors fered markedly for a number of the alters. Comparisons began coming to him for treatment. between T-l and T-2 visual scores for all subpersonalities PowerSubpersonality: This alterwas described as a male indicated theywere not significantly different (12).05). Thus, turtle that possesses power from the "spirit world," which the replication ofvisual memory scores among the alters was could be applied to control pain or major illness. The Power statistically reliable. Neurosensory auditory scores for T-l or alter began its developmental process during the subject's T-2 indicated they did not differ significantly (12).05) among third year of life as outlined above. Behavioral characteris those in the high range for Small One, Moon Walker, Wolf, tics ofthe Power subpersonality included hunched posture, Pretty One, Power, and Wind Spirit. Similarly, alters' audi slow movement, head swaying from side to side, arms mov tory scores did not differ (12).05) in the average range for ingin a slow circular pattern, and language thatwas veryslow Man Killer, Snake, Bad Spirit, and Great One.