Spontaneous self-hypnosis in multiple personality disorder.

The authors posits that the central mechanisms in cases of multiple personality appears to be spontaneous self-hypnosis. As the syndrome is a product of hypnosis and as excellent hypnotic subjects are potentially able to induce a variety of psychiatric symptoms, these patients report many symptoms referable to other major syndromes. This accounts for the many diagnoses attributable to them. The study of multiple personalities offers insights into the capabilities of hypnosis, the genesis of an unconscious, and the mechanism of repression.