Dissociative Identity Disorder

With the ultimate goal of finding a system that can be used to drive my diagram or to make my diagram more relevant to my thesis I started exploring Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) (formally known as Multiple Personality Disorder.)  Though my examination of this psychological condition I have tried to take my understanding and diagram it visually in an abstract manor in order to building relationships and processes that may be translated into architectural conditions.  These diagrams are embedded into the dialogue below.

 This psychological condition occurs when a person is experiences extreme abuse or trauma, usually at a very young age.  The person then starts to formulate "safe spaces" in order to be able to endure the abuse.  These "safe spaces" take the form of two or more distinct identities.  Accompanying these different identities is a usually a loss of memory for the other "alter(s)."  This memory loss aids the person in isolating certain memories and thoughts be "shifting" to certain alters in certain situations.  The conscious is split into separate components.

Dissociative Personality Disorder Diagram 1

There can be multiple identity splits, in fact the average number of alters in someone with Dissociative Personality Disorder is around 10.  Each identity is distinctly different.  When only two identities exist they are usually polar opposites of each other.  Each identity has its own age, sex, physical mannerisms, expressions, beliefs, etc.  Some times an identity will be "greater" or stronger than the original identity of the host.

Multiple Identities within Host

The shifting from one identity to another is almost instantaneous.  It usually is accompanied by a strong short-lived headache.  When one identity is active, others alters experience "black-outs" in their memories.  Shifting usually occurs when the person is under stress.

Identity shifting under stress with breaks in time/memory

There usually is a dominate identity and one or more subordinate identities.  The main identity is usually the one that experiences black-outs and has no awareness of the other identities.   At least one subordinate identity maintain consciousness while the other alters are in "control."  It is as though they are in the background, watching what is going on.  The other subordinate identities may also be fully aware of the others or only aware of some of the alters.

Identity shifting with subordinate alter

The dissociation that occurs can be so dramatic that each identity has different EEGs (brainwave measurements.)

Now that I have diagrammatically visualized these conditions I can see my diagram being driven by a variety of stresses.  The both~and condition will occur when the system is under stress.  The more stress the more intense the both~and condition.  This study relates to my program proposal for a duplex for  Dostoevsky’s character Raskolinikov in "Crime and Punishment."  The character's name means "split" in Russian.  The study of this character and the both ~ condition that exists in in the boolean operation as a vehicle to produce architecture.