The dissociation of a personality: The hunt for the real Miss Beauchamp

by Morton Prince

[This work, originally written in 1906, is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.]The present volume contains Parts I and II of a larger work, " Problems in Abnormal Psychology," but it is complete in itself. It is a study of disintegrated personality, as exemplified by the very remarkable case of Miss Beauechamp. In this study I have (a) traced the development of the different personalities which originated through the disintegration of the normal self, and (b) shown their psychological relations to one another and to the normal self. By giving (c) a detailed account of the daily life of the personalities, after the manner of a biography. I have sought to show their behavior to the environment and the way in which a disintegrated personality can adapt itself to the circumstances of life, and how it fails to do so.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

575 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1906

Reviews

[Morgan Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy of the book had 575 pages. Goodreads has the number of pages listed as 588. I read the 1969 reprinted version of Dr. Prince's 1906 work. I found it eye opening and incredibly thorough. I think as a non mental health professional reading this book, that I was surprised to learn that treatments for persons with dissociated identities in the 1890s are nearly identical to treatments used in treating clients diagnosed with the condition today. I believe Dr. Prince's work (and it was obvious that he was so very dedicated and invested in both his work as well as the welfare of his patients) was intended to serve as a document and as a stepping stone for future psychiatry and psychology professionals. This biographical study allowed us a glimpse into the observation and study of a patient with dissociated states in hopes (Dr. Prince does not say so directly, but implies indirectly) that by the contribution of this information, that it would become useful in helping future advancements in the study of how neurology, physiology, psyche, nervous system, genetic and family factors and outside environments and stimuli work together to create the disintegrations described within and the multiple personalities presented throughout. Armed with such understanding, clients like Miss Beauchamp living in modern day times could seek out and receive appropriate and beneficial treatment that would help restore quality of life and functioning. I wonder what Dr. Prince would think of our modern day mental health system.

[Lazarus · Rating 2 out of 5]

We are much more than singular. There is more to an individual than meets the eye, and what is an individual, if not a conglomerate of him or her self in many forms. Prince explores this in his study of a woman who was suffering with multiple personalities. What I found interesting, is that which could be called multiple personalities, could have been looked at as multiple versions of herself. This is a dense read, I won't lie, but watching the life of this woman being turned upside down, by versions of herself, whose intentions differed, was truly fascinating. And yes unfortunately, at other times boring. For Prince, this was a study and a dictate on psychoanalysis, and not meant to be an entertaining, fascinating tale. I shall not fault him for that. What I got from it (which is always my goal), was that the version of me that gets the most practice, the angry me, the happy me, the vengeful me, the loving me, the resentful me, etc....is the me who will carry me through the experience we call life. Worth the read if you have it in you. (1906)

[Br0k3nglass]

The Dissociation of a Personality: A Biographical Study in Abnormal Psychology by Morton Prince (1905)