Review by Leigh Gettier
Here an acronym, there an acronym, everywhere an acronym. Shall we give in? Let's call this book MIFM. I started to read it in part because of its publisher, the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C. (copyright 1996.) I hate being accused of not having read any "mainstream" APA books, don't you? So here we go, shoving off into the main stream . . . .
Nick Spanos is described as having had "an astonishingly productive and influential career" in psychology. He worked as a researcher at Carleton University, interested in hypnosis, false memories, demonic possession, the Salem witchcraft trials, reports of alien abductions, and multiple personality disorder (MPD). According to MIFM's preface, "Many of the critical experiments that provide the foundation for the theoretical conclusions reached here were the results of studies that were conducted in Spanos's own laboratory and that were reported in approximately 250 scientific articles . . . as well as in two previous books . . . ." MIFM, vii. Nick earned a bachelor's degree and a Ph.D. in psychology from Boston University prior to accepting his position at Carleton.
"Now, what on earth do false memories, hypnosis, and MPD have in common?" you ask. (I knew you would pick those three.)
"Repressed memories of early childhood physical and sexual abuse are thought by therapists to set the stage for the emergence of MPD. The tool of choice to recover the memories and uncover the multiple personalities has been clinical hypnosis." MIFM, viii.
"Of course," you say, "This is well-accepted in the field of psychology."
However, Spanos disagrees on all three counts. "[M]ultiple identities can be understood as rule- governed social constructions established, legitimated, and maintained through social interaction." MIFM, viii. WARNING - psychobabble - WARNING - psychobabble. Translation: you read about, hear about, or see a movie about MPD, repressed memories, and hypnosis (The Seven Faces of Eve, remember that one?); and maybe have a therapist who believes in MPD, repressed memories, and hypnosis and pays more attention to you when you talk about MPD, repressed memories, and hypnosis; and have friends who believe in MPD, repressed memories, and hypnosis; and pretty soon— a little unconscious wish-fulfillment for a more interesting life — a dash of self-fulfilling prophecy — a desire to 'get better' by finding out what the 'real problem' is — and — presto change-o! — you have MPD and uncover the repressed memories of what "caused" it with the "help" of expensive therapy.
'Demonic possession' and witchcraft used to be the fashion. They are out of style. Spanos says now we have MPD, satanic ritual abuse, sexual abuse of children by their parents and their pre- school teachers, and UFO abductions. In short, medievalism is alive and well and in the hands of 20th century psychotherapists.
I cannot do his book justice in a short review — but it is extensively documented. Its various indexes run for 65 pages. There is not too much psychobabble. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Personal comment. In preparation for writing this book review I looked for "free will" in the indexes of a dozen recent books on psychology, in vain. It is even missing from Spanos's book. Do we, as a culture, now reject the concept of free will? Do we believe our thoughts, feelings, and actions are so determined by our abusive parents, abusive siblings, abusive school-mates, abusive teachers, abusive friends, abusive culture, chemicals in our food, emf (electro-magnetic fields) and abusive spouses that the concept of free will is simply passe? Are we merely passive quivering lumps, rife with psychiatric disorders and addictions who must, as supplicants, visit psychotherapists for absolution?
Without free will, the concept of "responsibility" makes no sense, and legally, criminals should not be held accountable for their actions. And, this lack of accountability must logically include both the battering and battered spouses of domestic violence. (After all, wife beaters are just "acting out" their "repressed feelings" from their own "abusive upbringings" aren't they?) This is truly a slippery slope. It does not ennoble us.
I'm old-fashioned. (Some would say just "old.") If you don't believe in free will and self control, then you don't have them, and you very well may need to see a therapist. But perhaps it would be easier to just believe in free will.
Believe in free will or not. It's your choice!
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