WEBVTT - S05 Episode 3 Extra: Ghosts in the Machine

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Unexplained Extra with me Richard McClain Smith, where

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<v Speaker 1>for the weeks in between episodes, we look at stories

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<v Speaker 1>and ideas that, for one reason or other, didn't make

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<v Speaker 1>it into the previous show. In the last episode, End Game,

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<v Speaker 1>we followed the bizarre and tragic tale of Cindy James

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<v Speaker 1>and her six and a half year ordeal at the

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<v Speaker 1>hands of an apparent stalker. Though Cindy maintained till the

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<v Speaker 1>end that she was being harassed by a mysterious assailant,

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<v Speaker 1>many who worked on her various cases were convinced that

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<v Speaker 1>she had in fact been orchestrating the incidences herself. Psychiatric

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<v Speaker 1>health professionals who assessed Cindy's mental health were also convinced

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<v Speaker 1>that she was effectively acting as her own stalker. However,

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<v Speaker 1>few were able to provide a concrete diagnosis as to

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<v Speaker 1>why this might be happening. I have to admit I

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<v Speaker 1>was a little unsure about giving an account of this

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<v Speaker 1>story due to its complicated ambiguity. On the one hand,

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<v Speaker 1>it's hard not to see similarities with the many other

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<v Speaker 1>stories of botched police investigations that were clouded by sexist

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<v Speaker 1>attitudes or ignorant ideas about the ways in which a

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<v Speaker 1>victim of crime is supposed to behave. On the other hand,

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<v Speaker 1>if Cindy had in fact orchestrated, if not all the events,

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<v Speaker 1>then at least the majority of them, including her death,

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<v Speaker 1>as many came to believe, there is a risk that

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<v Speaker 1>this story could be used to undermine similar stories in

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<v Speaker 1>which victims of crime have been let down by poor

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<v Speaker 1>police practice. With that in mind, I don't want this

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<v Speaker 1>week's extra to be taken as a reflection of what

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<v Speaker 1>I believe happened, but rather as simply a closer look

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<v Speaker 1>at one proposed explanation that I found quite startling, namely

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<v Speaker 1>the possibility that Cindy had suffered from a form of

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<v Speaker 1>dissociative identity disorder. The apparent condition, formally known as multiple

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<v Speaker 1>personality disorder, remains as contentious today as it has ever

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<v Speaker 1>been since it was first tentatively diagnosed back in the

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<v Speaker 1>nineteenth century. Though many in the medical profession believe it

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<v Speaker 1>may affect anywhere from naught point nor one percent to

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<v Speaker 1>fifteen percent of all people, there are others who don't

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<v Speaker 1>believe the condition exists at all. Dissociative identity disorder ORDID

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<v Speaker 1>is defined in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and

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<v Speaker 1>Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as an identity disruption indicated

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<v Speaker 1>by the presence of two or more distinct personality states,

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<v Speaker 1>experienced as possession in some cultures, with discontinuity and sense

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<v Speaker 1>of self and agency, which is to say, unlike the

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<v Speaker 1>much looser notion of having multiple personalities, which we all

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<v Speaker 1>do to a certain extent, whether the person we are

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<v Speaker 1>to our friends versus who we are to our boss

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<v Speaker 1>or our families, say, desociative identity disorder specifies a condition

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<v Speaker 1>whereby an individual's self is fragmented, but with no center

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<v Speaker 1>of narrative gravity. In this state, some believe it's possible

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<v Speaker 1>for the split personalities to function on their own without

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<v Speaker 1>any awareness of each other. It is thought that one

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<v Speaker 1>of the first clinical diagnoses for the condition was made

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<v Speaker 1>by doctor Desire Bourneville in the late nineteenth century. Bourneville

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<v Speaker 1>had been looking into sixteenth century accounts of supposed possession

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<v Speaker 1>when he came across the extraordinary tale of twenty five

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<v Speaker 1>year old Dominican nune Chan Fray from fifteen eighty four

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<v Speaker 1>to fifteen eighty six in Mons, France, Fray was subjected

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<v Speaker 1>to a series of exorcisms on account of her appearing

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<v Speaker 1>to be possessed by a host of demons as well

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<v Speaker 1>as the spirit of Mary Magdalene. Fray's exorcists compiled a

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<v Speaker 1>report of over a hundred pages detailing her affliction and treatment,

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<v Speaker 1>which Bourneville went on to publish in eighteen eighty six.

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<v Speaker 1>In April fifteen eighty four, Frey, who had been blind

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<v Speaker 1>in her right eye for ten years, was brought to

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<v Speaker 1>the attention of the local archbishop. The young woman was

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<v Speaker 1>found to be covered in a series of self inflicted

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<v Speaker 1>wounds that she had no recollection of doing to herself,

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<v Speaker 1>leading some to believe that demons had been taking over

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<v Speaker 1>her mind and using her body against her. In one incident,

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<v Speaker 1>a version of Fray was reported that appeared to have

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<v Speaker 1>completely forgotten all the theological knowledge she'd learned as a nun.

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<v Speaker 1>Another time, when she was given a form that she

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<v Speaker 1>had to sign, the form went missing. It was said

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<v Speaker 1>that she'd hidden it while possessed by a demon named Nammon,

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<v Speaker 1>so when Frey reverted back to her usual self, she

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<v Speaker 1>had no recollection of where the form had been hidden.

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<v Speaker 1>After undergoing an exorcism in the summer, Fray continued to

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<v Speaker 1>self harm and at one point even tried to hang herself,

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<v Speaker 1>but later had no memory of the events. In November,

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<v Speaker 1>the nun assumed the character of a four year old

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<v Speaker 1>child who seemed more or less incapable of verbal communication.

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<v Speaker 1>Perhaps most incredibly, while existing as the four year old child,

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<v Speaker 1>the vision was completely restored to Phray's right eye, just

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<v Speaker 1>as it had been when she really was a four

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<v Speaker 1>wants you to start living a happier life today. After

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<v Speaker 1>undergoing further exorcism, Phrase's condition seemed to lessen until finally

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<v Speaker 1>she was determined to be free of demons and invited

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<v Speaker 1>to return to her convent. Writing with his nineteenth century perspective,

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<v Speaker 1>doctor Bourneville diagnosed Phrase's condition as a form of hysterical psychosis,

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<v Speaker 1>speculating that this had come about due to severe abuse

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<v Speaker 1>she'd suffered as a child. This had effectively resulted in Fray,

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<v Speaker 1>adopting two altered states that were in conflict with each other,

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<v Speaker 1>Mary Magdalene being the good and the demons being evil.

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<v Speaker 1>According to Hono van der Hart, writing in his paper

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<v Speaker 1>Shan Fray, a sixteenth century of D, personality of these

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<v Speaker 1>altars as they are known, had likely been based on

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<v Speaker 1>the perpetrators of her childhood abuse, and then shaped by

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<v Speaker 1>phrase understanding of what good and evil was and the

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<v Speaker 1>religious prism with which she comprehended the world. In seventeen

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<v Speaker 1>ninety one, German doctor Aberhardt Gamelin wrote an account of

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<v Speaker 1>a twenty year old woman who was suffering from what

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<v Speaker 1>he caught exchanged personality. His account is thought to be

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<v Speaker 1>the first case of DD to be written about in

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<v Speaker 1>great detail. The woman, who was German and lived in

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<v Speaker 1>Stuttgart at the time, had adopted the personality of a

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<v Speaker 1>French aristocrat, with Gummellin suggesting that the recent French Revolution

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<v Speaker 1>may have been the trigger. Whenever the aristocrat alter emerged,

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<v Speaker 1>she would speak German but with a French accent. When

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<v Speaker 1>her usual self returned, she claimed to have no memory

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<v Speaker 1>of what happened while the aristocrat was present. Remarkably, whenever

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<v Speaker 1>the aristocrat returned, they had the complete memory of only

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<v Speaker 1>that specific state. In twenty fifteen, a paper published in

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<v Speaker 1>psycho Journal discussed the extraordinary case of a patient who

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<v Speaker 1>was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder who was also completely blind,

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<v Speaker 1>the result of a severe head injury she'd suffered thirteen

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<v Speaker 1>years previously. After being assigned a course of psychotherapy with

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<v Speaker 1>one of the paper's authors, Bruno vold Vogel, the patient

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<v Speaker 1>who attended the sessions with her guide doc, was soon

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<v Speaker 1>exhibiting all criteria required by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

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<v Speaker 1>of Mental Disorders for diagnosing dissociative identity disorder. Over the

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<v Speaker 1>course of the next few years, the patient would present

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<v Speaker 1>ten altars in total, ranging in ages, genders, and personality.

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<v Speaker 1>Often the different altars wouldn't even speak the same language,

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<v Speaker 1>with some only communicating in German and others in English.

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<v Speaker 1>And then, after four years of therapy, something extraordinary occurred.

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<v Speaker 1>It was while her later session was coming to an end,

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<v Speaker 1>with the patient in their adolescent male identity state, that

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<v Speaker 1>they were suddenly able to make out the words on

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<v Speaker 1>the front page of a coffee table magazine. Gradually, after

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<v Speaker 1>a few more sessions, while her other states remained blind.

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<v Speaker 1>The adolescent male altar slowly began to see more and more,

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<v Speaker 1>until finally their sight was completely restored with the help

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<v Speaker 1>of some hypnotherapeutic techniques. This sudden ability to see or

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<v Speaker 1>seemingly transferred to a number of the other altar states,

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<v Speaker 1>to the point where the patient would even drift in

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<v Speaker 1>and out from states that were completely blind to states

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<v Speaker 1>that could see, often within the space of seconds. Incredibly,

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<v Speaker 1>when the patient was given a visual evoked potential test,

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<v Speaker 1>a test that examines the functionality of the optic nerve,

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<v Speaker 1>it was found to function only when one of the

0:12:11.120 --> 0:12:21.600
<v Speaker 1>patients alters that claimed it could see was present. These,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, are extreme conditions. However, the idea of questioning

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<v Speaker 1>just how many personalities we might have within us is

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<v Speaker 1>not unusual. Many people agonize over the notion of just

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<v Speaker 1>who they really are, or what is their one true self.

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<v Speaker 1>We talk of being real, or accuse people of being

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<v Speaker 1>two faced when we don't think they're being true to themselves,

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<v Speaker 1>or rather true to our idea of who we think

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<v Speaker 1>they should be. I've always found this a strange and

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<v Speaker 1>unfair accusation. Might it simply be true that we are

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<v Speaker 1>many different people. As Gregor Riec wrote on Psychology Today

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<v Speaker 1>in twenty fourteen. Neuropsychologist Antonio Domascio, for example, divides the

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<v Speaker 1>notion of self into three parts. Firstly, we have the

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<v Speaker 1>experiential sense of self, that which we feel is unique

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<v Speaker 1>to us, which boils down essentially to our individual personal

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<v Speaker 1>memories of the experiences we've had throughout our lives. Then

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<v Speaker 1>there is the autobiographical self. We might think of this

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<v Speaker 1>as our inner sense of self, all the beliefs, knowledge,

0:13:30.800 --> 0:13:33.720
<v Speaker 1>and prejudices we might have that inform the way we

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<v Speaker 1>interpret the world around us. And finally, there is the

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<v Speaker 1>public self, the many and varied ways in which we

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<v Speaker 1>present ourselves to others in the world. As gregon Rite notes,

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<v Speaker 1>if there is any sense of unity to these varied

0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:52.280
<v Speaker 1>expressions of self at all, it would most likely be illusory.

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<v Speaker 1>Rare would be the individual for which these notions of

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<v Speaker 1>self remained unchanging throughout their lifetime. Our sense of self, therefore,

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<v Speaker 1>is more likely to be comprised of many different parts,

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<v Speaker 1>some often even competing with each other, that, when taken together,

0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:13.000
<v Speaker 1>gives us a vague sense of one singular notion of

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<v Speaker 1>who we think we are. Philosopher Daniel Dennet describes this

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<v Speaker 1>notion as the self being akin to a center of

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<v Speaker 1>narrative gravity as I mentioned earlier, rather than one singularly

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<v Speaker 1>defined thing, something that can feel cohesive yet has no

0:14:30.000 --> 0:14:34.160
<v Speaker 1>solid property at all. Perhaps, instead of feeling the need

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<v Speaker 1>to strive to become one consistent, settled being, we can

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<v Speaker 1>learn to become comfortable with the fact that instead we

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<v Speaker 1>are many and our capacity is infinite. Or, as Walt

0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:50.160
<v Speaker 1>Whitman famously put it, do I contradict myself very well?

0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:55.320
<v Speaker 1>Then I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll leave you with this rather wild I, which was

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<v Speaker 1>discussed by a group of left field thinkers in a

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<v Speaker 1>Scientific American blog post back in twenty eighteen. In it,

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<v Speaker 1>the authors posed an eye catching solution to what many

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<v Speaker 1>consider the central problem of cosmo psychism, the idea that

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<v Speaker 1>all consciousness is part of a single universal consciousness. As

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<v Speaker 1>critics of the idea say, how could we all be

0:15:23.440 --> 0:15:26.240
<v Speaker 1>part of the same consciousness if we each have such

0:15:26.280 --> 0:15:30.520
<v Speaker 1>a strong, separate sense of our own individual experience of life.

0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:35.840
<v Speaker 1>The solution was simple, suggested the authors. If there really

0:15:36.000 --> 0:15:39.960
<v Speaker 1>was such a thing as a single universal consciousness. Perhaps

0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:44.120
<v Speaker 1>it too suffers from some kind of dissociative identity disorder,

0:15:45.080 --> 0:15:48.080
<v Speaker 1>and if so, might it be that we aren't single,

0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:52.800
<v Speaker 1>separate conscious entities at all, but merely the individually fragmented

0:15:52.840 --> 0:16:01.080
<v Speaker 1>older states of a universal consciousness. Joy unexplained and would

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<v Speaker 1>like to help supporters, You can now do so via

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<v Speaker 1>book and audiobook, featuring ten stories that have never before

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<v Speaker 1>are produced by me Richard McClain smith. Please subscribe and

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