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Multiple Personality Disorder and Demonic and Spirit Possession – Part I

© Jill Stefko

Dr. Allison pioneered the treatment of MPD, multiple personality disorder, now called dissociative identity disorder in the DSM. When he had his first client with MPD in 1972, there was scant information about MPD in literature about psychology. The Three Faces of Eve was one of the scarce sources of information about MPD. The Three Faces of Eve, published in 1957, was one of the first books written about a woman with MPD. It was made into a movie for which Joanne Woodward won an Oscar portraying Eve Black, Eve White and Jane. The next popular book was Sybil. It was a made for TV movie starring Joanne Woodward as Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, the psychiatrist who treated Sybil. Sally Fields portrayed Sybil and won an Emmy in 1976. Later, in Allison's practice, his work with MPDs made him consider the possibility of possession.

In 1980, Dr. Allison wrote a groundbreaking book about MPD, "Minds in Many Pieces." He documents cases of MPD that involved both spirit and demonic possession in this work.

According to Dr. Allison, the DSM II was the reference and MPD did not have its own classification. During the time he was actively practicing, the DSM III was created. MPD was given its own classification in the category of dissociative disorders.

Before the DSM IV was created, a committee of experts was formed to decide which disorders should be listed. Two groups comprised the committee, the psychiatrists who were therapists and those who were teachers and researchers.

The teachers wanted to eliminate the MPD label and replace it with DID, dissociative identity disorder, while the therapists wanted to keep it. The teachers' argument was that people are born with one personality, so a multiple personality disorder could not exist. The therapists knew that people with the disorder behaved as if there were multiple personalities, therefore MPD was accurate.

Obviously, the teachers won because MPD is DID in the DSM IV and IV TR. I agree with Dr. Allison in that the better term is MPD and use this one.

In 1981, Kenneth Bianchi, one of the Hillside Stranglers, tried to convince people he had MPD as a defense. He called his alter Steve Walker. The examining psychologist was skeptical and interviewed him at length. Bianchi had one personality that had antisocial personality disorder, also referred to a psychopath and sociopath.

In 1983, M. Scott Peck wrote his pioneering book, "People of the Lie," a book about the reality of human evil. He described himself as a "hardheaded scientist." Two of his MPD patients were demonically possessed in addition to having alters.