[Michael W. Harris]

Dissociation is about switching in and out of hypnotic or semi-hypnotic states without control.

When a toddler, newborn to four years old, is traumatized so severely, either physically, psychologically, or emotionally, that the toddler goes into shock, that state of shock is exactly a state of hypnosis. Usually the dysfunctional family traumatizes the toddler throughout the first five years of life. So personalities develop within that constant state of shock that are not the same as the original personality or host, if you will.

When the child comes out of these hypnotic or semi-hypnotic type states, automatic amnesia occurs just like it occurs if a mental health professional puts someone under deep hypnosis! I have a book on sleep talking by Dr. Arthur Arkin which has documented this phenomenon.

That is what dissociation is about. How different the personalities are depends on various factors like the severity of abuse, the type of abuse: physical, emotional, or psychological, the personalities of the abusers, the child genetic personality tendencies, etc.

The reason that the mental illness is not diagnosed in childhood is related to the dysfunctional family who usually are totally insensitive to the child's feelings and do not communicate with the child appropriately.

[leejosepho]

I recall being mesmerized and transfixed by a variety of things or incidents, some traumatic, as a child, and I would guess those times either amounted to or led to a variety of at least semi-hypnotic states where I would either quiver or be numb until the situation had either passed or I had somehow (possibly thereby) escaped...then to later return whenever one of them seemed comforting in whatever kind of way. As an adult, I have always known myself as a chameleon...and I suspect all of this might be tied to what you have mentioned even though all the clinical terms and such are not familiar to me.

[Michael W. Harris]

Originally Posted by Michael W. Harris

Dissociation is about switching in and out of hypnotic or semi-hypnotic states without control.

When a toddler, newborn to four years old, is traumatized so severely, either physically, psychologically, or emotionally, that the toddler goes into shock, that state of shock is exactly a state of hypnosis. Usually the dysfunctional family traumatizes the toddler throughout the first five years of life. So personalities develop within that constant state of shock that are not the same as the original personality or host, if you will.

When the child comes out of these hypnotic or semi-hypnotic type states, automatic amnesia occurs just like it occurs if a mental health professional puts someone under deep hypnosis! I have a book on sleep talking by Dr. Arthur Arkin which has documented this phenomenon.

That is what dissociation is about. How different the personalities are depends on various factors like the severity of abuse, the type of abuse: physical, emotional, or psychological, the personalities of the abusers, the child genetic personality tendencies, etc.

The reason that the mental illness is not diagnosed in childhood is related to the dysfunctional family who usually are totally insensitive to the child's feelings and do not communicate with the child appropriately.

P.S. Another factor in the differences of the alters is how the dysfunctional family members interact with the different alters. Are the alters abused worse? Is there better communication between the alters and the family members? I believe that my alters had more communication with my Father and Mother than me. My parents never communicated with me. But I am fairly sure I have an alter or more that is more aggressive in communicating. I know I have an alter that is more outgoing than me. I know that I have an alter that teases people a lot. I have an alter that does not live with constant emotional pain and fear. I have an alter that acts out more. These all may be the same alter. I do not know.