I would first like to say that this book, although long, is quite interesting. I really felt like I was intrigued by it, and the idea of multiple personalities is quite fascinating.  I never would have made the connection between child abuse and MP before, but now that the book has shed some light on it, I can see clearly how those things go together quite well (I mean, it’s not GOOD that they do, but they do).

I wanted to bring up something I found interesting in regards to Freud. Now, I may be the only one, but I felt that Freud and the therapists who deal with MP are a tad similar. The book discusses the fact that the therapists maybe “plant” the idea to their patients that they had been abused, or even just a memory, regardless if they had or not. I find this a bit similar to how Freud puts the idea of sex into his patients minds. It is a little different however, as Freud pushes the idea onto his clients, and the therapists almost talk theirs into the idea. However, is anybody else seeing this connection? Maybe I have just been reading too much Freud.

I want to talk about the fact that the name was changed from Multiple Personality to Dissociative Identity. I though it was was weird that thye changed the name until at lecture, it was said that we weren’t moved by the whole idea of different personalities, but more so something like an “altered state”. Although it is just a name, I feel I get a different picture of what MP’s are when talking about them in a state form. It is quite interesting how the name can make all the difference.

Lastly, I just want to mention the Action Under Despcription. Is what the lecture was saying, that we have one physical action, and the way we describe it is what sort of “labels ” it? For example:

1.the action of throwing a basket ball.

2. throwing a basket ball to hit somebody

3. throwing a basketball to hit a teacher

4. throwing a basketball to hit a teacher so she cannot go to class the next day.

My question is, is the only action “the throwing of the basketball”? and the rest is description or is their multiple actions being shown?

Afro