The Dissociation Syndromes

The dissociation syndromes comprise the clinical conditions which were described by Janet ¹ in his American lectures on the major symptoms of hysteria, namely the somnambulisms, fugues, and double personalities. In these the personality of the patient seems to change from time to time to a greater or less degree. What really happens is that the pattern which dominates the rest for the time being changes, and this pattern is sufficiently comprehensive to achieve consciousness either to the exclusion of or coincidently with the rest of the personality. Such changes of dominating pattern are met with in ordinary life. McDougall ² has shown that in the well-regulated individual the self-regarding sentiment is the dominating and controlling influence. Sentiments, however, may or may not be permanent, and may wax and wane according to the changed circumstances of the environment. Love and hate may be taken as good examples of sentiments, and, as Freud has shown, in the neurotic at any rate, there may be great instability in the dominance of either one or other even in respect of the same individual. This is specially the case in relation to childish emotional adjustments to parents or parent substitutes, love giving place to hate and hate to love without any very serious reason for the change. Similarly, in the love attachments, affection is given first to one individual and then to another, so that the new love is approached, almost before the old one is dropped.