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Book Review, Dr Cornelia Wilbur, Flora Rheta Schreiber, Psychoanalysis, Shirley Ardell Mason, Sybil
More of the cells in our bodies do not share our DNA than are ‘us’ – we are indeed all multiples
I read this fascinating account of dissociation and fragmentation into multiple personalities many years ago, but have just re-read it, after reading a completely different kind of book (a novel) which dealt with the subject, and was, in my opinion, a poor book.
It did perform the valuable service of sending me back to Flora Rheta Schreiber’s account of the psychoanalysis of ‘Sybil’ a 16 multiple personality. Sybil was analysed by Dr Cornelia Wilbur in the 1950s. Schreiber was a journalist and writer who specialised in the field of psychiatry. Her book was initially published in the 70s
It was an extremely fascinating re-read: the book had made a very strong impression on me, raising as it did questions about identity, however the re-read shows me much about my own development and understanding, as some questions which puzzled me on first reading have been answered as my own shifting perceptions about the nature of healing and holism have grown, and, perhaps, I have a greater personal understanding of the observer as an identity: a concept of the reflective mind which can stand outside the sometimes suffering deeply subjective and reactive self, and observe what is arising.
Without wishing to spoil the fascinating journey which awaits the reader of this well written book, which was written with the agreement of course of both the analysand (integrated Sybil) and her analyst, the basic overview is as follows:
Born in the 1920s into a rigid, repressed Christian sect household, in Wisconsin, with a history of mental illness, particularly on her mother’s side, Sybil had an extraordinary and terrible childhood visited on her by her mother, who was later diagnosed as schizophrenic. Hattie, like Sybil herself, was highly intelligent and creative, but her own background was also one which warped and stifled her. Hattie was a terrifyingly cruel and vengeful woman, from an early age. Sybil’s father, Willard, was complicit in his daughter’s illness, which began at the age of 3, by failing to acknowledge Sybil’s mistreatment and by being too fixated on his standing within the rigid, narrow-minded community and its hellfire-and-damnation faith.
Blue Is The Colour of Love – Artwork by ‘Sybil’ – Shirley Ardell Mason
On my initial reading, I completely understood the ‘normal’ roots of multiple personalities. We are all ‘multiples’ : how often might any of us use such terminology as ‘part of me (for example) loves socialising, but another part of me craves solitude and I need to be alone for periods of time in order to stay whole ’ – so, we are all a mix of sometimes contradictory needs. Yet the ‘normal’ contradictions of part of me, part of me, are cohered into the sense that overall is an ‘I’ who contains these parts.
On first reading, I also clearly understood and had familiarity with the idea, in Jungian terms, of ‘the shadow’ – those aspects of self we might not wish to own – mainly emotions which are felt to be unacceptable or shameful. We all have shadow aspects, according to what our own upbringing and culture deems is acceptable or not – and indeed what is deemed acceptable depending on society’s view of gender, and how women or men are supposed to be.
The difference between disassociation and the conscious or unconscious holding of the shadow however, is that, however uncomfortable, for most of us, we might fly into a destructive rage and be ‘beside myself with rage’ (there’s the inherent normal arising of the shadow within our language) – an indication that the raging one stands at a slight remove from the everyday ‘me’ – but the ‘me’ always knows that however beside myself I might have been – I broke the crockery in my rage. Me, not another, I own and remember it when I calm down, say sorry – and pay for replacements!
However, sometimes, and it is particularly as a result of huge traumatic, often huge traumatically repeated early events, particularly if these occur within the family itself, and even more particularly when the family denies the reality of what the child experienced, or even dis-allows the arising emotions, then the strange way out is to split off from self, in order to allow another to hold the emotion. The original personality may NOT EVEN KNOW that this has happened. This was certainly the case with ‘Sybil’ where early dissociated personalities ‘held’ her anger and her fear, for example.
What I did not completely understand until much later, on this re-read – it had interested me for many years – is that one of her personalities, the one who ‘knew’ all the others, the observant watcher, was extremely ‘whole’ I could not understand intellectually how this attractive person was hidden from ‘Sybil’. But that was before experiencing how mind functions within meditation, and how the observer can even observe the observer observing – degrees of integration of ‘self’-and-not-self.
Even more potently, I have come to understand something which is fundamental within vitalism and holism, namely, that whatever the dis-ease, there is an inherent movement towards health within all living organisms – this is in psyche as evidently as it is in soma. The concept is that of homeostasis and balance, and is always evident, from the most structural nuts-and-bolts of biology (the skin’s ability to repair itself, for example) to the most intangible, within subtle or energetic structures.
In the light of this, the existence of those personalities who seemed MORE than the depleted Sybil made sense. The most complete of her personalities, – of course, they were all ‘her’ – even acted as co-therapist.
Our medical model inevitably makes us focus on ‘where is the lesion’ – where does fracture or unwellness lie. This of course is extremely important – but just as important, particularly in the field of psyche, is to ask ‘where is the health, and to find that impulse to health, wholeness and cohesion which is within any living organism. Indeed, wider than that even – it is the forces within the structure of matter itself, the material universe, which contains the binding together and the flying apart.
What a very valuable new as well as revisited journey this fabulous book gave me!
‘Sybil’ (her true identity within the book was kept hidden, Dr Wilbur’s identity is what it was – and all 3 women are now dead) was also turned into a couple of made for TV movies.
Cornelia Wilbur
Sybil’s story continues to haunt and stir up controversy. After all three women (‘Sybil’ herself, her analyst, and the writer of the book) had died, a book was written claiming that the 3 women had perpetuated a hoax. It is of course interesting that the writer of THAT book did not write her book until the participants were no longer able to answer back – or sue!
Another writer who befriended ‘Sybil’ wrote a book which verified the original story and included further testimony from people who knew ‘Sybil’ and her family. This book also refutes the evidence presented in the ‘hoax’ book. Clearly, one part had some agenda, and both the readers of the original book, the hoax book and the refutation of hoax book will be convinced, or not convinced, and become partisan of one side or another – or say ‘whatever’
This feeds into debates about ‘false memory syndrome’ – sure, absolutely FMS does exist, and highly suggestible subjects can uncover ‘memory’ can seek to ‘please’ a therapist by giving them the story they expect to find. To acknowledge that however should not negate stories of childhood abuse. There has been a tendency for hardline ‘false memory syndrome’ champions to therefore say all stories of this ilk are false.
Sybil’s own story links with this – and the existence of ‘multiples’ – now described as the more clinical dissociative personality disorder, has, with reclassification, been similarly questioned as to its integrity.
That there was real warmth and trust which developed between Sybil and her therapist, so the relationship became as much friend as doctor patient, is obvious. Sybil certainly was dreadfully damaged by her childhood, and her therapist, who related to her less clinically than most mainstream analysts would these days find professional, may make a modern practitioner hiss in disapproval. But it has always also been true that, if it is in the best interests of the client, some ‘rules’ may be better broken, on very rare occasions ‘Boundaries’ are an important, crucial cornerstone of practice. However Dr Wilbur’s clear regard for Sybil (and the Sybils) as a person, rather than purely coolly offering support and encouragement and acceptance to a client because of professionalism, seems to have been quite hugely instrumental in Sybil’s healing.
Its important to say the ‘broken boundaries’ were not in any way abusive, or exploitative, but Wilbur and Sybil (and Flora Rheta Schreiber) became friends and met outside the therapy sessions. Not something which most therapists would feel appropriate, but in this complex case, Sybil, who had never trusted, who became afraid of all intimacy, learned she could trust in large part through Wilbur’s friendship, encouragement and support outside sessions. Wilbur even treated Sybil for free for a long time, and this was an act of faith FOR Sybil that at some point, she would heal enough to work, to express her creativity and be paid for it, and so in the end be able to pay for those sessions
Wilbur had hidden Sybil’s identity. The later books reveal Sybil to have been Shirley A. Mason
Flora Rheta Schreiber
As stated above, I was fascinated by this book decades ago, and still remain so
Lady Fancifull 
This is a fascinating post as well as a good example of how one book (even a bad one) leads to another. I’ve not heard of Sybil before bit I’d like to read this and maybe about the hoax theory.
Reply 2 posts below!
This book floored me years ago…almost unbelievable. Then I adopted a young child who turned out to have Dissociative Identity Disorder. Having read this book, it all just fell into place.
I hope your child was also able to move towards greater integration.I like books like this rather more than the clinical studies, because people are always more than their woundings, and writers who engage emotionally with the subject I think are much better able to show how like the rest of us people with mental and emotional health problems are, rather than just box them into a particular DSM label, from which they can’t escape
Integration is a relative term regarding my son. He has fought against it because he feels it would be similar to abortion. (?) He said he can’t get rid of any of his parts, but he has learned to share lives with each of them. Amazing stuff.
That’s a really interesting comment 5kids, as of course there is that aspect of the identities aa their own selves. I thought that was dealt with interestingly in Sybil, Again, it relates very much to ‘what is normal’ and how often does society or we as individuals choose to stifle aspects our ourselves. Your son must create a lot of deep questioning in those around him – stuff which we all take for granted ‘I am I’ really gets challenged. Well, that’s what i find with reading books like this
It’s really quite normal for him, and those who know have accepted it wonderfully. He even jokes about it. Those who don’t know think he’s really weird, but that’s life, so what!
If you Google any of the names of the 3 women you’ll find Wiki articles and details of the other books. The refutation of the hoax theory book (i.e. that Sybil was genuine) seems to have provided evidence, whereas (at least according to him) the hoax theorists did not produce the evidence they said they had – and i suppose it is rather telling that they waited until the protagonists were dead before publishing!
Another wonderful book, a novel this time, about schizophrenia, is I Never Promised You A Rose Garden, by Hannah Green. Again its the story of the relationship between skilled therapist and client, and the journey towards healing without losing sight of the core health of a person, however broken they might appear to be. I can feel a re-read a-pending
Sorry Cleopatra – this is a reply to yours, I pressed the wrong ‘post’, rather than ‘reply to’ button!
Thanks, I found it 🙂 I did look on google after reading your post, and I agree with your analysis. I have heard of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, will add that one too now. Thank you so much 🙂
You are most welcome Cleopatra; it’s such a pleasure to share bookie delights!
I, too, read Sybil in my youth. I recall being fascinated and horrified (usually simultaneously) by it. I had never heard of the “hoax” book, and I can’t say that I’m moved to read it. So I’ll just keep my head in the sand and live happily ever after. 😀
I rather think it may be the ‘this is a hoax’ party that are the sand dwellers (or maybe the hoax rubbishers just make a better argument), but it is telling that the initial therapist who cried ‘hoax’ and the writer of the hoax book did not make their cases till every one was well and truly dead.
Great analysis. I bet you have a super great book collection.
Well I do/di – till I started running out of space! I’ve become (had to) much more ruthless about taking books to the charity shop if I’m pretty sure i will never read them again these days – and of course there’s where the Kindle scores once you get to a point where there simply isn’t another wall that can be turned into a bookshelf! but, I’m still buying ‘real’ books though operating a one in one out policy. Some books (like this one) earn their forever place on the shelves because I still remember them as they made a mark on me when i read them.
Another book, somewhere in the same territory which I strongly recommend is Joanne Greenberg’s I Never Promised You a Rose-Garden, a semi-autobiographical account of the author’s own journey with schizophrenia, in a beautiful novel. It is also about the journey with a therapist and much which is interesting to say on identity, intensity and the gifts and challenges of sensitivity and creativity. I feel another re-read is pending!
What an incredible sounding book. I am currently reading The Fault in our Stars which is pretty good so far. I know it’s modern technology and everything but I can’t buy a kindle. And I can’t get rid of many books. Help… 😉
Was seriously considering decamping to live under a bush and giving over the flat completely to books. The Kindle in theory means there is still room for me to live here. It’s fine for books that you might not want to read again,and great for travelling light, but there is no doubt that its not a patch on the tactile, olfactory, visual and EASE of ‘real reads’. I annotate and underline my books (I know this gives some people the heeby jeebies) and though you can do this on a Kindle it really isn’t anything like the same – I like (on a re-read) to see what I underlined or made comments about 10 years ago or whenever it was that I read the book’ Real books better, by far!
I used to underline books all the time at uni. What’s the book you’ve read most btw?
Mm not sure, At one time I re-read Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials trilogy every couple of years, so I think that had 3 or 4 re-reads.
There’s ‘comfort re-reads’ like some Sherlock Holmes short stories.
Possibly I re-read books from childhood most – Tove Jansson Moomintrolls, also Jane Austen, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre – stuff which maybe i first encountered in my teens, but the literary greats are always vying with new stuff to discover.
I can feel that a re-read of those heavy and wonderful Russians (Tolstoy, Dostoievsky is LONG overdue)
Perhaps just perhaps, ‘part of me’ is who I was in a past life. That ‘part of me’ who refuses to remain in the past. That ‘part of me’ who remembers. That ‘part of me’ who followed me here.
Interesting idea; I’ve always thought we are infinitely more complex, nuanced and layered than we ever give ourselves (or anyone else) credit for. Poets and artists understand the complexity of what it means to be human, the statisticians , the market researchers, and the macro-analysers miss it by miles!