Rough Ways Made Smooth: A series of familiar essays on scientific subjectsProctor, Richard A. (Richard Anthony)
Science
Rough Ways Made Smooth: A series of familiar essays on scientific subjects
Proctor, Richard A. (Richard Anthony)
Science
It will be observed that the cases of dual consciousness thus far
considered, though alike in some respects, present characteristic
divergences. In that of the boy at Norwood, the two characters were
very similar, so far as can be judged, and each life was distinct
from the other. The next case was only introduced to illustrate the
resemblance in certain respects between the phenomena of somnambulism
and those of double or rather alternating consciousness. The woman
Felida X. changed markedly in character when she passed from one state
to the other. Her case was also distinguished from that of the boy by
the circumstance that in one state she was conscious of what had passed
in the other, but while in this other state was unconscious of what
had passed in the former. Lastly, in Sergeant F.'s case we have to
deal with the effect of an injury to the brain, and find a much greater
difference between the two conditions than in the other cases. Not only
does the man change in character, but it may justly be said that he is
little more than an animal, even if he can be regarded as more than a
mere automaton while in the abnormal condition. We find that a similar
variety characterises other stories of double consciousness. Not only
are no two cases closely alike, but no case has been noted which has
not been distinguished by some very marked feature from all others.
Thus, although in certain respects the case we have next to consider
resembles very significantly the case of Sergeant F., it also has a
special significance of its own, and may help us to interpret the
general problem presented to us by the phenomena of dual consciousness.
I abridge, and in some respects simplify, the account given by Dr.
Carpenter in his interesting treatise on _Mental Physiology_. Comments
of my own are distinguished from the abridged narrative by being placed
within brackets:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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