Evening journal., 1893-04-03
DUAL PERSONALITY.
RESIDUAL PHENOMENA OF THE MIND
IN SANE PEOPLE.

Evidence is not wanting to show that
what we call personality is an extremely
eomplex thing. the sum Of subsidiary per-
sonalities which now shift and change
like the figures in a kaleidoscope, and
again becoming sharply defined under
some abnormal condition crystallize into
two or more distinct groups Of elements
which alternately sleep and wake Of
even coexist. These complex elements
may be so unstable, the groups compos-
ing them constantly breaking up and
forming new combinations. that theidea
of multiple personality does not natural
" attach itself to them; it is only when
they become stable, and especially when
each exhibits n well defined conscious
ness that we begin to think of such a
thing. But besides the abnormal and
diseased conditions which cause such
separation or crystallization there are
other conditions in which in appears
somewhat less distinctly. To one class
of these / desire to call attention very
briefy-to that embracing what may be
called cases of residual personality.
Residual phenomena Of all kinds are
particularly interesting and instructive,
especially those where the few things re-
maihing in group after many have been
removed differ widely in their collective
properties from those that have been
taken away, while these latter are not
in any way distinguishable from those
of the sum of both before the division.
This is the case often with residual per-
sonality Nothing is more common than
for group Of elements in what we call
a person to be differentiated in one Of
various ways. leaving behind a residual
group differing altogether in its charac-
teristics. though the differentiated group
represents TO us and Is considered TO
be identical with the original person.
The commonest method Of such differ
entiation is sleep The elements Of
sleep are, as it were, substracted from
the normal personality, but there is
usually left behind very curious some
thing--illogical, credulous, fantastic
whose nightly experiences the whole re-
united person recollects in the morning
as dreams. The next commonest case l.
that of the absentminded person. Tho
major part Of the person being absorbed
in mental processes Of some sort, the re-
sidual person lives its own separate men.
tai life, thinks. feels and wills by itself
and perhaps carries on a train Of proc
esses which is continuous with preced-
ing train carried ON under similar cir.
cumstances the day before.
This residual person may act very
mechanically. The reunited person may
fail TO recollect what its acts or thoughts
were and be surprised to find how it has
been making use of his limbs while he
what he vainly regards as the one un
alterable ego-has been absorbed In
thought. But, on tho other hand it may
be perfectly conscious and may carry
on an entirely different train of thought
of its own. Almost always, however, Il
is eccentric and betrays a weakness at
one point or another.
For instance. n suburban resident
whom we will call A, is accustomed on
landing at the New York side Of tn,
ferry to abandon the mechanical task oI
walking to his office entirely to his resid
ual personality and to give up the majol
part Of himself to thought The two per
sonahties act often with perfect-alway'
with hpractical-separatene theresidua
person being quite equal to the low tasl
Of evading vehicles. steering clear of pass
ersby and turning the proper corners
When the Office is reached and the tw,
persons again become one, it is often
difficult task to remember any circum
stances of the walk.
On one occasion, however, A left tn
Astor library on Lafayette place, as h
supposed. intending to walk down Clin
ton place. To do this he must turn frs
TO the left, then TO the right and thel
again to the left. He turned once TO Tn
left, and after some time became diml.
conscious that he had walked for a Ion
time. and that the place for the seconl
turn had not been reached.
Coming to himself. he found himsel
far down Broadway. Tracing back hi
course mentally, he discovered that h
had been in the Mercantile library In
stead Of the Astor. His first turn there
fore had taken him down Broadway. an
he of course did not reach the place fc
the second. Mark now the peculiariti,
of his residual person Ii knew jul
where It was 10 turn and In what dire
ton, and had sense enough to be uneas
when it did not come TO the proper pla,
to turn, but it had not intelligen,
enough to know that it was on the wror
street. Its mind was too weak TO
trusted further than it was accustom,
TO 60 This residual person. in shoI
was about on par with a harmless Idle
Again. B, New Yorker, is walkiI
along absorbed in a process of though
when his residual personality sees }
friend @ approaching. 1t is not asto
ished, for he is near C's lodgings, but
the person supposed TO be 9 comes mes
er, it sees that he only slightly yresembl
G. He has on shabby clothes. and
face is entirely different The natuI
conclusion would be that the person q
preaching was not c. The residual pl
son, however, does not argue thus.
concludes that c has greatly change
that he has become poor and that
appearance has altered for the worse
Pity and surprise are plainly felt
the residual person. During these me
tai processes, so similar to those OF
.1.-,,,,, ,acidual fhQ major pprkOn I