In cases of multiple personalities, it is common for the main personality to lose track of time. This happens when another personality comes through. Alternate personalities can be either male or female, along with different ages, possessing different names as well various likes and dislikes.
Childhood trauma is often associated with dissociative disorders, particularly forms of abuse, including sexual abuse. One of the most famous cases is that of Shirley Ardell Mason, more popularly known as Sybil.
Multiple Personality Disorder Cases
With a novel written by Flora Rheta Schreiber entitled Sybil and a subsequent movie starring Sally Field in the title role, the story of Sybil was told featuring her sixteen different personalities.
Another well-known case is that of Eve White portrayed in The Three Faces of Eve. So how accurate are psychiatric reports on this unusual phenomenon? Is there only one reason this can happen, or could there be another cause?
Past Life Memories
A controversial alternative to Multiple Personality Disorder is that an individual is able to recall and live out personalities that existed in past lives. Reincarnation is the belief that souls are incarnated repeatedly. When reincarnated, memories of any past lifetimes are usually hidden so that new lessons can be learned in each lifetime. However, particularly in young children, this is not always the case.
Many young children are able to so-call remember previous lifetimes, although as they get older, the memories generally fade. However, there are cases in which adults claim to have spontaneous past-life recall. How realistic is this? There does happen to be a lot evidence to support reincarnation.
Researchers in the field include Ian Stevenson and Carol Bowman. Each has offered some solid evidence to support reincarnation, particularly with children who can recall past lives. Details include children who have correctly identified where they lived, how they died and recognition of previous family members.
So, is reincarnation the reason for Multiple Personality Disorder? At this time, it is merely a suggestion. There is some evidence that can support the claim, although there are other claims to support that the condition is caused by childhood trauma.
A person suffering from this disorder should not be taken lightly. Professional treatment by a person who is specially trained in multiple personalities is necessary. At this point in time, it is unknown if abuse and trauma are the only reasons that this condition exists, or if it is a bleed through of memories from past lifetimes that are causing the condition. What do you think?
Resources for More Information:
- Carol Bowman Past Life Center; ChildPastLives.com
- "Children Who Remember Past Lives: A Question of Reincarnation"; Ian Stevenson, MD; Revised Edition; 2000.
- "Spirit Attachments and Releasement: Spirit Possession Syndrome"; Dr. William Baldwin; Institute for Hypnosis and Past Life Regression Therapy; 25 Feb 2009.
Janis Masyk-Jackson - I'm here to seek out the truth about some of life's mysteries. There is nothing new about New Age beliefs. These are beliefs that have ...
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