Are the personalities aware of each other?

It probably doesn’t mean anything but lately I’ve been hearing more than one thought in my head at a time. (When Rabbit Howls see BOOKS, ARTICLES)

There are several ways that personalities may be aware of each other.

Here’s a simple way to look at it. Three personalities A, B and C …

• A is aware of B and C; and is aware that she is multiple and was traumatized;

• B is aware of C but not of A; he is aware of some of the other personalities but not all; and he may be aware of some of the trauma but not all of it;

• C is not aware of A or B; she is not aware she is multiple and she is not aware she was traumatized.

 And there are degrees of awareness ….

The others can hear what I say out loud, but they cannot know my thoughts or read my letters. (Switching Time see BOOKS, ARTICLES)

 

A survey done by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that 75% of multiples had at least one personality who said they did not know about the others. It also found that 85% of multiples had one personality who said they knew of all the others.

One of the major tasks of therapy is for all the personalities to know about each other and about the trauma.

 

“You mean you can see them?” “Sort of.” Karen points to the space in front of her. “I can’t see them, but I can see what they’re doing and hear what they’re saying.” (Switching Time see BOOKS, ARTICLES)

 

The more emotional and severe the trauma was the more likely there will be less awareness of each other. It is only in a safe setting that the person can then allow there to be more awareness of the multiplexity and the trauma in order for healing to take place.

 

[Eve Black] was able to maintain awareness, she claimed, of everything, or nearly everything, that [Eve White] the cautious housewife and mother did, and had access most of the time to [Eve White’s] thoughts and her memory. … On the other hand, Eve White had no contact with Eve Black’s consciousness, no suspicion of her existence. (The 3 Faces of Eve see BOOKS, ARTICLES)

 

 

’Eve White’s not like me,’ [Eve Black] said with a kind of easy pride. ‘She don’t know a thing about what I think, but I know her thoughts like she does herself. I don’t think ‘em, of course, but I can nearly always tell whatever’s in her mind.’ (The 3 Faces of Eve see BOOKS, ARTICLES)

 

Vicky explained: ‘I know everything. … I know what everybody does…. I certainly don’t claim omniscience. But I watch everything everybody does. That’s what I mean when I say I know everything. In this special sense I am omniscient. (Sybil see BOOKS, ARTICLES)

 

.. right now, more than three persons hovered around the woman, yet were unaware of her and of each other. (When Rabbit Howls see BOOKS, ARTICLES)