multiple personality
Last reviewed 01/2018
This describes a rare phenomenon in which a patient appears to suddenly alter their behaviour/personality between two states, the patient in one state is unable to recall his/her reactions in the other state.
Even more rare are patients who exhibit more than two personae.
Each "personality" is based upon a complex integration of emotions, attitudes, memories and social behaviour. The new personality often contrasts markedly with the first.
This phenomenon may occur in the presence of organic pathology, schizophrenia, temporal lobe epilepsy or sometimes in the course of magical or ritual rites.