Title of the Book: "SYBIL"

Author: Flora Rheta Schreiber

Sybil, who first detach into her waking self and an alternate self at a young age of 2-3 years, had no less than 16 selves of different ages who inhabited her. This is closed to be the most compound of such cases. Sybil found herself united into one whole being in her 40s, after she went through a whole series of psychoanalyses- some based in hypnosis and sodium pentothal (the truth injection). Her dissociations apparently originated as a defense to protect herself from the childhood abuse and that, to me, was the toughest part of the book. The other possible cause being the conflicting religious values she faced.
In the book we'll meet Sybil and 16 selves, her parents, her room-mate, Teddy Reeves, her psychiatrist Dr. Cornelia Wibur and even the author of the book. Her 16 beings are different from each other. The unstable Peggy, the French stylish Vicky, the baby like Ruthie, Vanessa, Marcia, Helen, Marjorie, Nancy, Mary, the guys Mike and SID (after Sybil's initials), the un-named blonde and Sybil, as her waking self. Each with different desires and skills, each a part of what were to be the whole Sybil. Sybil was a really good artist. Some of her sketches are provided in the book. Some of her works can be viewed in the internet. If you'll browse on the net, there has been some controversy on whether Sybil was a multiple personality or an extreme case of hysteria. It is said that Dr. Cornelia Wilbur deliberately induced personalities in her patient during hypnosis and that it had something to do with the book deal, however, personally I am not sure if it's true or what.

I began to think differently by having this idea as to whether the story is a work of pure fact or part fact-part fiction, in which, I am not really sure. If its fact, then its one of the most complicated tales of human psychology (well, in my opinion) and if fiction, then its imaginative! I noticed that the book is repetitive at times, but only to emphasize Sybil's trials and problems. The description of her selves is rather vivid and you connect and empathize with each of them. And I began to reflect after the book is over. The pages dedicated to childhood abuse are realistic for me, it's very painful, and I admit, I skipped through those partly. It was too difficult to take. I also had different thoughts about this case after I have read the book because before, I used not to believe and I do not give much concern about Multiple Personality Disorder because I thought that it's not true. But then, after I have read it, I realize that Multiple Personality Disorder is such a serious case.

What to explore furtherc

If there is something that I would want to explore further regarding this classic novel, it's if there's a possibility that Sybil's case can be inherited. Referring through the internet, it can be read along the analysis that it was found out that both of her parents have the history of psychological problem that runs in the family. I want to explore if it could apparently be establish biologically. I tried to research about Sybil's background and somehow, I have read some that would show some back ground of Sybil and even Sybil's parents. Starting of with Hattie Dorsett who was actually schizophrenic at the age of forty, the time of Sybil's birth, Edith, the oldest sister of Hattie has sons who had a variety of psychosomatic illnesses, Henry Anderson, Hattie's youngest brother, and Lillian Green, the granddaughter of Edith gave evidence of possibly being multiple, or at least dual personalities. Similarly, Willard's family background seems to have a role in Sybil's Disorder. Some of his relatives seem to demonstrate psychological problem as well, like his Uncle Thomas's son, Bernard who was hospitalized as schizophrenic. And Carol, the daughter of his uncle Frederick was subjected to elations and depressions as part of manic depressive psychosis. Even if the said information's may not be included on the book of Sybil, I would want to explore if it can be proven that biological perspectives have something to do Sybil's situation, but one way or another I also would want to see the sights if it could still affect a part of her psychological framework to be person with multiple personality disorder.

Insights and realizations:

In my perception, Sybil is such a controversial topic that it can ever be understood fully. I realize it was too much for a typical person to handle. And if a usual person with no idea about this case would search on the background of a certain person with multiple personality disorder, he might find it confusion. In addition to my awareness about Sybil is that it brought a different meaning to realness. Each of the characters she created-though not intentional-has their own realities. Everyone has his or her own means of interpreting a situation, means of remembering, and means of projecting the future. With Sybil's psychological condition, it is impractical to be really sure what reality for Sybil is in the same way that I may view her the moment I have read the book. Like for example, one of Sybil's characters, Mary, even alluded to this. Mary said to Dr. Wilbur, "Things are not what they seem." A more poetic anecdote from Mary is "There is no past. Past is present when you carry it with you." In the same way, belief is real if one carries it, or to state it more clearly, reality retains its realness as long it is believed to be real. Each of Sybil's character, even Sybil herself, believed in each of her own realities. They even interact with one another.