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Undid revision 998899147 by Vitalis196 (talk)The aspects are relevant psychological aspects of multiplicity
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'''Multiplicity''' is the psychological phenomenon in which a body can display multiple distinct personas.<ref name=Ribáry>{{Cite journal|last1=Ribáry|first1=Gergő|last2=Lajtai|first2=László|last3=Demetrovics|first3=Zsolt|last4=Maraz|first4=Aniko|date=2017-06-13|title=Multiplicity: An Explorative Interview Study on Personal Experiences of People with Multiple Selves|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=8|page=938|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00938|issn=1664-1078|pmc=5468408|pmid=28659840}}</ref> This phenomenon can feature in [[identity disturbance]], [[dissociative identity disorder]], and [[other specified dissociative disorders]], among other things. Some individuals describe their experience of multiplicity as a form of [[neurodiversity]], rather than something that demands a diagnosis.<ref name=Ribáry/><ref name=Vice>{{Cite web|last=Telfer|first=Tori|date=2015-05-11|title=Are Multiple Personalities Always a Disorder?|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vdxgw9/when-multiple-personalities-are-not-a-disorder-400|access-date=2020-06-15|website=Vice|language=en}}</ref> Since 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ([[DSM-5|DSM]]) no longer refers to it as "multiple personality disorder", favoring other terms.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=traumadissociation.com|date=2015-07-03|title=Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)|url=http://traumadissociation.com/dissociativeidentitydisorder|language=en}}</ref> Multiplicity can also be referred to as
'''Multiplicity''', also known as '''plurality''',<ref>{{cite book| title=The Plural Self: Multiplicity in Everyday Life |author=Mick Cooper, John Rowan |publisher=SAGE |year=1999 |isbn=9780761960768}}</ref> is the psychological phenomenon in which a body can display multiple distinct personas.<ref name=Ribáry>{{Cite journal|last1=Ribáry|first1=Gergő|last2=Lajtai|first2=László|last3=Demetrovics|first3=Zsolt|last4=Maraz|first4=Aniko|date=2017-06-13|title=Multiplicity: An Explorative Interview Study on Personal Experiences of People with Multiple Selves|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=8|page=938|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00938|issn=1664-1078|pmc=5468408|pmid=28659840}}</ref> This phenomenon can feature in [[identity disturbance]], [[dissociative identity disorder]], and [[other specified dissociative disorders]], among other things. Some individuals describe their experience of multiplicity as a form of [[neurodiversity]], rather than something that demands a diagnosis.<ref name=Ribáry/><ref name=Vice>{{Cite web|last=Telfer|first=Tori|date=2015-05-11|title=Are Multiple Personalities Always a Disorder?|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vdxgw9/when-multiple-personalities-are-not-a-disorder-400|access-date=2020-06-15|website=Vice|language=en}}</ref> Since 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ([[DSM-5|DSM]]) no longer refers to it as "multiple personality disorder", favoring other terms.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=traumadissociation.com|date=2015-07-03|title=Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)|url=http://traumadissociation.com/dissociativeidentitydisorder|language=en}}</ref> Multiplicity can also be referred to as
[[personality style]] defined as "an individual's relatively consistent inclinations and [[preference]]s across contexts."<ref name=BEYONDDSM>Eriksen, Karen & Kress, Victoria E. (2005). A Developmental, Constructivist Model for Ethical Assessment (Which Includes Diagnosis, of Course). ''Beyond the DSM Story: Ethical Quandaries, Challenges, and Best Practices'' . Thousand Oaks, CA: Page Publications. {{ISBN|0-7619-3032-9}}</ref>
[[personality style]] defined as "an individual's relatively consistent inclinations and [[preference]]s across contexts."<ref name=BEYONDDSM>Eriksen, Karen & Kress, Victoria E. (2005). A Developmental, Constructivist Model for Ethical Assessment (Which Includes Diagnosis, of Course). ''Beyond the DSM Story: Ethical Quandaries, Challenges, and Best Practices'' . Thousand Oaks, CA: Page Publications. {{ISBN|0-7619-3032-9}}</ref>


Revision as of 14:42, 15 January 2021

Multiplicity, also known as plurality,[1] is the psychological phenomenon in which a body can display multiple distinct personas.[2] This phenomenon can feature in identity disturbance, dissociative identity disorder, and other specified dissociative disorders, among other things. Some individuals describe their experience of multiplicity as a form of neurodiversity, rather than something that demands a diagnosis.[2][3] Since 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) no longer refers to it as "multiple personality disorder", favoring other terms.[4] Multiplicity can also be referred to as personality style defined as "an individual's relatively consistent inclinations and preferences across contexts."[5]


History

Throughout history, concepts of phantoms, muses, and fluid "selves" have been applied to this phenomenon.[3] This has been extended to concepts such as tulpamancy. Additionally, some individuals throughout history have stated that they had been taken over by a spirit, soul, or ghost.[3][6] In recent times a community of "plurals" has become active on social media who claim to be multiple people sharing a single body. [7] A 2017 study estimated that around 200 to 300 people were part of these communities. [2]

Plato described the soul ("psyche") as tripartite, calling them Logos (rationality), Eros (erotic love), and Thymus (desire).[6][page needed] According to Carter,[Who?] Shakespeare showed examples of this via characters such as Hamlet and Macbeth who had distinct personalities.[6][page needed] [relevant?] Carter claimed that Freud supported the notion of different personalities when he came up with the Id, Ego, and Superego, arguing that a split separates the conscious and unconscious mind.[6][page needed] Carl Jung proposed: "The many contains the unity of the one without losing the possibilities of the many."[8]

Carter says that Italian psychologist Roberto Assagioli developed psychosynthesis, and hypothesized that an individual may not be consciously aware of their many personae.[6][page needed] American psychologist John G. Watkins used hypnosis to bring out different personalities.[6][page needed]

Multiplicity as personality styles

Stephen Braude and Rita Carter use a different definition of personality style, defining "personality style" as "personality" and proposing that a person may have multiple selfs and not have any relatively consistent inclinations and preferences in personality. This may happen as an adaptation to a change of environment and role within a person's life and may be consciously adopted or encouraged, in a similar way to acting or role-playing.[9] For example, a woman may adopt a kind, nurturing personality when dealing with her children but change to a more aggressive, forceful personality when going to work as a high-flying executive as her responsibilities change.[6]

Multiplicity as systems of plural identities

Many people who experience multiplicity do so as a "system" of multiple, mostly-independent selves, each with a name, thoughts, emotions, behavioral patterns, preferences, and memories, along with a gender and sexual orientation.[10] Referring to themselves as "plural".[7] Each system is unique when it comes to organization, depth, and breadth of memory, and how much control they can exercise over switching. Many multiples use "we" instead of "I" when referring to the whole system.[2]

Being plural is similar to dissociative identity disorder in that they experience themselves as having multiple distinct identities however many plurals don't fit under other diagnostic criteria such as distress, impairment and amnesia.[7] Despite this dissociative identity disorder is a common cause for plurality.[2]

There exists certain unique terminology within multiplicity spaces. "Fronting" denotes when one identity of the body is in control during any point in time. "Switching" denotes when a different member begins to front. This can happen voluntarily or involuntarily. [2]

Media portrayal

Movies often portray systems in a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fashion, where the host struggles against an abusive alter ego. Multiplicity may be confused with borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and antisocial personality disorder, which are represented similarly as inherently violent or shameful. Multiples often want to depict their positive and negative experiences in a respectful and understanding way.

Changing the negative stereotypes of mentally ill/neurodiverse people into accurate representations may increase social support and access to care.[11] Multiplicity is part of a larger movement of self-determination and changing the way mental illness is portrayed in media.

See also

References

  1. ^ Mick Cooper, John Rowan (1999). The Plural Self: Multiplicity in Everyday Life. SAGE. ISBN 9780761960768.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Ribáry, Gergő; Lajtai, László; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Maraz, Aniko (2017-06-13). "Multiplicity: An Explorative Interview Study on Personal Experiences of People with Multiple Selves". Frontiers in Psychology. 8: 938. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00938. ISSN 1664-1078. PMC 5468408. PMID 28659840.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  3. ^ a b c Telfer, Tori (2015-05-11). "Are Multiple Personalities Always a Disorder?". Vice. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  4. ^ traumadissociation.com (2015-07-03). "Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Eriksen, Karen & Kress, Victoria E. (2005). A Developmental, Constructivist Model for Ethical Assessment (Which Includes Diagnosis, of Course). Beyond the DSM Story: Ethical Quandaries, Challenges, and Best Practices . Thousand Oaks, CA: Page Publications. ISBN 0-7619-3032-9
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Carter, Rita (March 2008). Multiplicity: The New Science of Personality, Identity, and the Self. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316115384.
  7. ^ a b c Schechter, Elizabeth (2020-04-20). "What we can learn about respect and identity from 'plurals'". Aeon. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
  8. ^ Michael Vannoy Adams (2008). "Multiplicity". The Cambridge Companion to Jung. Cambridge University Press. p. 115. ISBN 9780521685009.
  9. ^ Stephen E. Braude (1995), First Person Plural: Multiple Personality and the Philosophy of Mind, Rowman & Littlefield, p. 86, ISBN 9780847679966
  10. ^ Lester, David (2017-09-08), "Multiple Selves versus Meta-Preferences", On Multiple Selves, Routledge, pp. 43–46, doi:10.4324/9781315125626-4, ISBN 978-1-315-12562-6
  11. ^ Aviram, Ron; Brodsky, Beth; Stanley, Barbara (September 2006). "Borderline Personality Disorder, Stigma, and Treatment Implications". Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 14 (5): 249–256. doi:10.1080/10673220600975121. ISSN 1067-3229. PMID 16990170. S2CID 23923078.

Further reading

  • Ian Hacking (2000). What's Normal?: Narratives of Mental & Emotional Disorders. Kent State University Press. pp. 39–54. ISBN 9780873386531.
  • Jennifer Radden (2011). "Multiple Selves". The Oxford Handbook of the Self. Oxford Handbooks Online. pp. 547 et seq. ISBN 9780199548019.
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