756 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 



manifestations of dissociation or weakened synthesis with those of 

 automatism. 



The problems of abnormal psychology become, then, very largely 

 problems of dissociation, weakened syntheses and automatism; and 

 if the laws which govern these processes can be determined, we 

 shall be able to correlate most, if not all, abnormal psychological 

 states. As dissociation and automatism are also principles of normal 

 mental life, as, for example, the phenomena of absentmindedness 

 and the artifacts of suggestion, in these same laws we may find a 

 correlation of abnormal psychology with normal psychology. Thus 

 simply as manifestations of, or perverted working of, the normal 

 dissociating and synthesizing process, whether psychical or cere- 

 bral, we may find an explanation for and correlate: 



(1) Physiological states, like 

 Sleep, 



Dreams, 



Normal forgetfulness (amnesia), 



Moods, 



Absentminded phenomena, 



Natural somnambulism. 



(2) Artifacts like, 



Hypnosis and post-hypnotic phenomena, 



Motor automatisms (automatic writing and speech), 



Artificial sensory automatisms (crystal visions). 



(3) Pathological states; such as, 



The hysterical state and its manifestations, 



Trances, 



Obsessions, 



Hallucinations, 



Deliriums, 



Alterations of character, 



Multiple personalities, 



Epileptoid states, etc. 



I think we may also, though perhaps debatably, include certain 

 insane states, like moral and certain forms of circular insanity. 

 It is certain that abnormal phenomena like retrograde amnesia, 

 hysterical anesthesia, hallucinations, alterations of character, 

 etc., do not stand apart as facts without kinship to normal life; 

 for phenomena, which are absolutely identical in form, con- 

 tent and behavior to the environment, whether spontaneous or 

 artificially induced, occur as manifestations of the activity of the 

 health mind. Thus certain types of normal amnesia may, in every 

 way, give the same reactions and show the same relations to the 

 personal consciousness as abnormal amnesia; normal absent- 

 mindedness as abnormal abstraction; crystal visions as hysterical 



