Agnes’s Jacket was one of the most fascinating things that I have read all semester. I have always associated hearing voices with Schizophrenia. I have never thought to separate it. In reading Agnes’s Jacket and Watching….Ted Talk I has lead me to really consider the idea of multiple selves. In both the article and the video it was mentioned that the voices were separate from the self and that the primary self has to be able to control or work with the voices in some way.
I was also fascinated by how “normal” these people seemed once they gained control of their voices. When placed in the hospital, the voice hearers, mentioned in the article and video, seemed to decline. Once they were removed from an environment of the hospital and used a more unorthodox approach they were able to thrive. They were able to live a functional life. This is because for voice hearers, here voices were trying to tell them something or became away for the self to cope with traumatic events.
2 responses so far ↓
Kristina Bodetti // Oct 23rd 2013 at 3:37 pm
I too was intrigued by the idea of separating the voices from the disease. Based on the positive effects on the people hearing the voices this might be the more effective way of thinking of these things. Once a person suffering from any mental illness can get their symptoms and selves under control seeming normal in society is a common side effect and I think a wonderful thing that should be the goal of treatment.
matthew finston // Oct 23rd 2013 at 8:21 pm
I totally agree. Reading Agnes jacket was useful for my thinking about my own project. I was surprised that this radical approach to voice hearing is taking place.