THE GIRL WITH FIVE LIVES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 265, 5 April 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE GIRL WITH FIVE LIVES.

Miss Doris Fischer is a young Ijidy now, in the early twenties. She lives in the Borough of Queens, City of New York. She was a girl with a quintuplieated personality—in other words, live separate and dissimilar mtureTall contained in one body. But every .word of her biography is vouched for bv some of the nest known physicians and scientists and psychical students in the world. Anw Fischer has permitted unlimited investigation. Three bulky scientific volumes have already been written about her, relating even her most trivial conversations year after year, since she first learned to talk. She has made thus sacrifice for science 1-and for the sake of some other sufferer who may b 0 looked upon, as she was, as an unsolvable "enigma. But mere pubacity she shrinks from. No doubt she could become rich by exhibiting herself in vaudeville. But she is better than rich, she is happy. For she is a young woman entirely cured now-k-st one young woman. Until a short time ago she was five youngwomen' This is a scientific fact. Had there been no great war, all EuS would have been discussing the case o Mss Fischer-fcr hers haThTdeed been the most remarkable caa, of mult.ple personality t corded in the history of mental patholog.au science. Her story, as told by jCharies W. Wood, in the New York "World," is as follows:-

WHEN Doris Fischer .was three years old she had a violent fall. Something broke inside her headi--a "lesion in the association tract," the neurolo-l gists called it. At any rate, when she came to herself, she came to three selves, only one of which was the real Doris. Only at intervals did she seem like herself. Most of the time she talked and acted like an altogether different ohi'ld, who seemed to know and remem-' ber, nevertheless, all that Doris said and' did. Occasionally she seemed to j be neither herself nor this other person- j ality but still another seif altogether, different from either. And when she; was this third self, she seemed to know all about the other two selves, but | neither of them seemed to knoiV anything about her! j Her mother was distracted. They were poor, very poor, living in a workingclass district of Pittsburgh. The girl was very good and sweet—and them very naughty and mischievous. The change would come like a flash, with a twitch of the neck. Her whole expression would onange. Sometimes she would fighte-with herself; sometimes, she would argue witnout end. Once one self scratched the face of the other selr terribly in an argument about a ball. I "It's mme. It was given to me! cried the one little girl. But the other little girl, in the same little girl s body, was too confused to understand. She went on playing with the ball. "I'll teach vou!" cried the "owner , of the ball. And the face which was occupied in turn by the two suffered n consequence. Doris succumbed, took tho ball out of one hand and meekly surrendered it to the other! It is hard tor children to grasp the pr-nciples of private property. But when two of them havo only one body, and bran, and vo'-ce, and face to be scratched, and to be pulled, an understanding of, property rights is infinitely more compiex. . I No one in the Fischer environment could attempt an explanation. Dons could not explain. She was sometimes one person and sometimes another—that was all she could comprehend. "When she was Doris, she was bright and ( cheerful and in school she stood next to the head of her class. But when she was the other she was a little rogue. People said she was " peculiar" or " queer, and let it go at that. Somehow, the child weathered this mental storm until she waa seventeen; and all the time the ui iferent personalities that Eeemed to take possession of her developed just as different children wou<d. The amiable one became exceptionally well-endowed and practical; and the mischievous one became exceptionally witty and fascinating. She lost her impish spirit and was known as a jolly humorist. Aj seventeen, a great tragedy came into this multiple life. ' Mrs Fischer, the girl s idolised mother, died. Tho distraught daughter cared for her to tho last. The girl mam, taincd her reason up to the moment she drew the sheet over the-remains of all that she had ever loved,.and then her mind became a blank. 1 Presently a new and utterly strange personality, equipped ?. ; ith intelligence, but entirely without memory or knowledge, awoke within her. She did not know how to swaliow her food and had to be taught. She had a mild curiosity about things, wanted to know why things that looked the same were not tho same, aind why -he body under the sheet was so still, and why it couldn t walk when it had legs. . | How this new personality was educated by one of tho former tenants of the Doris bram, who came " subiiniinally to instruct her, is told at length in the scientific record., . I But that was not the limit of confusion. At eighteen, the young woman suffered another fall, and still another personality was liberated! now five young women, aM only at the rarest intervals was she the real Doris. DORIS'S FIVE PERSONALITIES. Each of these personalities claimed a name of her own and would not answer to any oilier. They were:— | 1. "Real Doris," the primary personality; optimistic, bright, and capable, j 2 "Margaret," who came with the fall in Doris's childhood; at first roguish, later fascinating and humorous, but remaining apparent/.y not more than ten years old, although the men-; tality of Deris matured normally. j 3. "Sleeping Margaret," who came into be'ng at the name time, but was entirely unlike her namesake. Sho claimed to bo not a person, but a guid- ] nig spirit; sho always appeared when one of the other personalities, was pros-, ent, and on tho same psychical level. Sho waa a philosopher and adviser, die- j tating long, technical statements and j interpretations which were clearly be-! yond the mental grasp of Doris or Margaret. I 4. "Sick Doris," who was born of the j shock of Mrs. Fischer's death, and instructed "subiiniinally" by Margaret, i 5 "Sleeping Real Doris," the personality which appeared in the accident of a year later. Only partly developed and possibly not self-conscious, sho seemed to reproduce conversations and expressions from the minds «if the others. "Rea<l Doris'' was ;>oi|uaintel with only two of her other sHvcs, "Margaret" and "S'ck Doris," and with them only through tho conversations. She could not rend their minds. " S : ek Doris" was conscious of herself and the "Real Dori-," but know "Margaret" only as an outfldo personality. "Margaret" seemed to so" the "Real Doris" throng!) "Sick Dor's" and was conscious of both, but knew n- tiling of ■■ Sleeping Margaret." "Sleeping .Margaret" vrai conscious of "Margaret's" consciousness, which ineluded "Sick Doris" and "Real Doris." She had the rsyehhal point of vantage, t. seemed, l>einy able to observe all tho others witnout being herself observed. "Sleeping Heal Doris" Reemcl to hold an extraneous position nt one side of •his chain, with communication lines « ;;c n to "Doris" and "Sick Doris." ' How this quintet lived together in -ho same phv-'oal structure, 'and how t.be "Roil Doris" eventually emerged triumphant through years of patient effort on the nart, of a Protc-tant Episcopal clergyman—that is the psyehij

drama winch is now making many learned scientists gasp. The third volume on the case has just been publishel by the American Society for Psychical Research. It is not written for tho popular under.-tn.nding, and the newspaper notices have been generally misleading. It is just a record, a stenographic record in large part, of the actual phenomena, a record of mysteries which have not so far been explained by any srientuc pronouncement. A CLERGYMAN TAKES UP HER CASE. Fi'om New York there cam?, to Pittsburgh a clergyman of unusual attainments. Highly educated, a doctor of philosophy he had made a special study of abnormal psychology. Unlike most clergymen, he ministered not only to sxmls but to minds diseased, not after tho fashion of the ordinary faith headers, but in co-operation with best medical authorities. It was Dr. Walter F. Prince, now director of "Emmanuel" healing at St. Mark's Church, Now York City, whore he devotes most of his time to curing seemingly hopeless cases of drunkenness and bringing mental peace and strength to the disconcertel and despairing. Within the bounds of the Pittsburgh diocese lived the unfortunate Dons. Mrs. Prince, the doctor's wife, became interested in her. She visited the squalid home and brought the gir" to Sunday school Prince discovered that it was impossible for this girl to sleep, and brought her again and agam to the rectory to try to soothe her into slumber. She soon divined that the trouble was something deeper than ordinary hysteria, and asked the doctor to take a ha-d.

Dr. Prince was amazed at his first observations.

Thrs was clearly a case of multiple personality, only a few instances of which have ever been attested in tho whole history of pathology; and this one was so complex that it seemed almost impossible to disassociate the different selves for intelligent observation. He had no theories to maintain. He had everything to discover. By patient observation,, month after month, he mado himself acquainted with each of the manifestatioss, taking endless notes. The girl talked as freely asleep as sne did awake, sometimes in one personality, sometimes in another. She talked about, "her" being asleep. Who talked? Who slept? Nothing but infinite observation might tell.

HER COMPLICATED MENTAL ...EANDERINGS. » I ''Now sho is sleeping," a voice would say. "She," the dotcor finally decided, • was " Sick Doris," but for a long time ho supposed otherwise. He supposed that " She" was the primary personality, and had ho attempted to develop "her," tho outcome might have been disastrous. j Doris, perhaps, woiwd dream. "Sick ' Doris" would see that Doris was dreaming, and would see the dream in Doris's mind. "Margaret" would see that "Sick Doris" was seeing this, and "Sleeping Margaret" would see the whole thisg in the mind of "Margaret.' And "Sleeping Margaret," awake, would tell what Doris was dreaming. It is not strange that none of those near to Doris could make anything out of . her mental wanderings. I Eventually Dr. Prisce sorted out the various personalities as outlined above. Then he learned which one of them was the "Real Doris," the primary personality. He decided that he would do ! his best to banish the others; this in spito of the fact that they were lovable young people, and Dr. Prince had learned to love "Margaret" like a ' father. ' j In the meantime " Sick Doris" had developed amazing expertness in many ways. She did fine needlework and embroidery, and completed beautiful designs in an incredibly short time. "Mar- | garet" complained that "Sick Doris" was compelling her to do these things . " subiiniinally" and was working her to j deatii. At the end of a task complete exhaustion or even catalepsy would enI sue. Two things Dr. Prince decided upon. Ho would place the girl in the most agreeable environment possible and lie i' would put a stop to this needlework. Ho brought the multiple girl into his j own home. He centred his attention on i "Sick Doris," restricting her activities ;' as much as possible. Then a peculiar i phenomenon asserted itelf. .! As the activities of "Sick Doris" were ' restricted, her memories began to fade. .! Gradually they emerged into the consciousness cf the "Real Doris." Beforo . I this, Dor's seemed to know nothing of . ] "Sick Doris" and tier doings. Now she .' seemed to remember much. And "Sick . Doris" began to think she was a prisonj er. she lost recognition of Dr. and .Mrs. ' Prince, and in eider to talk with her at .' all the doctor had to don his vestments. j She called him "Mister" now. only . I recognising bun partially, and she ' would recognise no one else at all. The | range of her vision became less and less, I and tho range of her conversation like- . ' wise. j From a maturely developed conscious- . i nevs, with normal sight, she began to • act and talk like an infast, and, she •' could not see anything more than four- [ teen inches away from her eyes. j "What is our name?" she asked one f day. And Irr talk finally dwindled to twenty or thirty little sentences. In .liiiie. 1911 five months alter the experiI merits began, "Sick Doris" passed away. j "SLEEPING REAL DORIS" ALSO f j PASSES •; Strangelv, "Margaret" bad co-njier-I ater| effpetivolv m the exile* of "Sick 3 ! Doris." Whether it was a touch of her j early roguishnc-s or not, sho saw and \\ grasped a chance to keep ber task, f master from regaining anv position in s ' psvebical lOfietv. | " I'll i'n to sleep," she would snv j j "and will "Real Dori-" to come nut .. : F< nil anv years "Real Dons'' had done i ' no sleeping. •J Rut as Foon as "Rii-k Dori-" left foi ; good, ".Margaret" be;-'n to decline, am , it took only a few precautions to in

dtioe "Sleeping Real Doris" not to intrude any further upon the "Heal Dons'' estate. " Sleeping Real Doris" made her last appearance in April, 1912. "Margaret" by thus time was a very little child again. She was not the impish child of her former childhood, though. Dr. Princo told me that she was the most winsome, lovable, droll, and witty child ho ever knew. " 'Sick Doris' has gone to heaven, Margaret," he told her. " Don't you want to go?" "No," she snapped. "If I went to heaven, God would get 'stung.' He'd say: 'Sk'doo, you're here already. " - As 'Margaret" retreated through her historical changes, sho developed a German accent for a few weeks and then lost it again. In her first"childhood 6he had overheard the conversations of a group of German workmen, picked up their expressions, and acquired many cf their lingual peculiarities. It seemed now that she was re-'.iving tl.is short phase of her existence, but she was not repeating its experiences. "Margaret" never became an infant. When sho had retreated to seemingly live years of age she left. "Sleeping Margaret" said the child would not return, and sho did not.

" I felt," said Dr. Pnnce, as he recalled the occasion, "as though a dearly loved cliild had died. I love Doris. Sho was always dear and lovable. But no child ever was such a fascinating sprite as 'Margaret.' Doris is a very ficomplished girl, but she can't embroider as 'Sick Dons' could, and sho hasn't the keen sense of humour that 'Margaret' had. It was on March 19, 1914, when 'Margaret" left, and only two of the five personalities remained. "Sleeping -uargaret" still appeared. It should be remembered, though, that she maintained tliat sho was not a person, but a guiding spirit. At any rate, she never troubled Doris, never disturbed her mental processes, uut seemed, as Dr. Prince put it, co-conscious with her and appearing on the same psychical level. Ono theory of the psychics is that " sleeping Margaret is the subconscious of tho "Real Doris." Doris, or any of the other personalities, was n:ver conscious of her existence. Doris was never subjectively conscious of the other personalities. But when "Sick Dons" passed away, Doris remembered many of her experiments. On tho ether hand, when " Margaret'' left, nono of her memories emerged in the consicousness of "Real Doris."' In scores of ways the case was unique n tho records of multiple personality, but there is no question of its authenticity. Dr. Prince's system of restoring Doris to herself was simple. At first he tried hypnotism, but abandoned it atfer ono experiment. "Sick Doris" was hypnotised and made weaker by suggestion. That seemed satisfactory, as far as tho effect on "Sick Doris was concerned:. But when " Sick Doris" left and " Real Doris" came, she, too, had been equally weakened by the experience. After that Dr. Prince centred his attention on two things: First, to keep the secondary personalities asleep as much a* possible, or restrict their activities; second, to centre the pleasurable experiences of life upon the " Real Doris." CoincTdently with their weakening, the "Real Doris" took a firmer grasp of life and consciousness. SCIENCE'S TWO THEORIES. What is the scientific explanation? Ther can be no definite answer now, but the conjectures will largely group themselves into variations of two hypotheses. Tne first is one which locks upon the personality as an entity above the brain, the second one which Icoks upon it as a product of the brain's reactions. According to the first, these various personalities were using the physical senses of Doris and her thinking machine, but existed independently of theso material tilings through which they functioned. The lesion in the association tract of the child's cerebrum did not bring them into being, but simply released thorn and gave them an opportunity to manifest themselves. According to tho second theory, what wo know as personality has no existence independent of matter, but is simply the totality of tho brain's reactions. The difference in environment (a differenco in tho initial stimuli which set up reactions within tho bra ; n) and the difference in tho sort of reactions which theso stimuli set up. If reactions occur in a certaiii aiea, for instance, the result will lie fear; if in another, it may bo laughter —which part of the brain will be affected depending on what ono scientist calls the " development of one's cranial transportation system." Now, under this theory, a lesion in the association areas, a "crossing of the wires," may cause an altogether different set of reactions to the same*stimulus than would otlierwiso occur. Hence, a completely different personality. Needless to say, the members of the Psychological Research Society do not accept this theory, and, oefore anyone accepts it, lie snould read the rosidts of six months' experiment with Doris and one of the best known of spirtiual mediums, after the restorat : on by Dr. Prii.ce.

Miss Fischer was living with the Princes in California when she consented to these experiments. Dr. James H Hyslop, secretary of the Society for Psychical Research, brought iier across tho continent to Boston. There she sat every day for months with Mrs. Chcnoweth, a med'tim of whom she knownothing and who knew noth'ng of her. She was kept out of communication with the medium, who was not allowed to see her even during the trances. But Mrs. Chenoweth soon 'began to write automatically the most astonishing revelations of the girl's career. When Doris returned to California the revelations went on, the medium recording many things which were happening to her on the other coast, which Dr. Hyslop was able to verify. "Did she clear up the mystery!-''' 1 asked Dr. Prince. " |/id she prove that there are separate intelligences, superphysical, who may dominate and obsess our physical organisms!-"

"Anyone who reads tho record must admit that," he said, "or be ('impelled to accept a belief in telepathy on a larger scale than anyone has yet eonsidercd possible."