So, what do you think about the fact that everyone has two selves?

We all know that everyone has two selves. We usually separate these into the terms of "good" and "evil." Then there is the disorder of schizophrenia, which separates these two selves even further. Instead of just choosing between what you consider right and what you consider wrong, or weighing the benefits of easy vs. more beneficial or longer-lasting, the schizophrenic actually develops two (or more) COMPLETELY separate personalities that compete with each other and try to force each other to do one another's will. This is why the schizophrenic will often think they are infested by demons or that "God speaks to them in words." From personal experience, one or more sides of this are usually aware, while the other(s) will not always know what is going on, will "black out," or will make up explanations for their actions or stimuli around them, while believing in every way this is actually the truth. That is why schizophrenics seem to lie a lot. That is also why a schizophrenic liar is very hard to deal with (most people who are educated about their disorder will be unable to tell which is a lie).

But it has recently been discovered that when any person's brain is cut in two (which apparently can easily be accomplished without harming the person physically) they will develop the same symptoms, not know why they did things, and make up explanations. (The Blank Slate, Steven Pinker, ©2002, pg. 43) It is told the one self is an illusion, and we all make up lies to believe ourselves to be one. But the lies are simple, such as "I decided not to," not something the schizophrenic or brain-split surgery patient has such as, "She fell, I didn't push her." They do not know just "I."

The self-identity seems to be a major part of most of humanity. I personally do not find it necessary (haha, "I"), but with so many scientists, psychologists, parents and everyday people advocating it's importance to most people, it is easy to see why life is so hard for the schizophrenic. Apparently, when the corpus callosom is cut, the self splits even higher. This is not Multiple Personality Disorder. Those personalities each have their own name, do not recognize each other at all, and are apparently the mental and physiological result of something completely different.

I seem to be attracted to schizophrenic people: I have known the inate mind of at least 4 and have encountered and befriended many others. I am not sure exactly where I am going with this as far as your part is concerned, but I think what I wrote here is enough to demonstrate my thoughts, so please, help me out, comments encouraged.

Edited by God on November 4, 2008 at 3:42:12.

I know someone who has some sort of disassociative disorder, "Disconesia." Is that related? Because it makes him put shoes in the fridge and purposely take a shower with Dawn dishwashing liquid...

What does being an asshole on the interenet have to do with it, by the way?

That IS the cause of the voices in your head, unless there's something real that's actually there. But ths discovery says... that all people have it, and just don't know.

Basically.

And the decisions CAN be about life and death, if the person's sui- or homicidal... but the decision are basically whether to do good or bad things, most of the time and with most people.

Edited by God on November 4, 2008 at 3:45:11.

Most of us seem to be forgetting the part where there's two, OR MORE. There are AT LEAST two valid within the study, but it does not show a definitive amount. And if it WAS only two, that does not mean there are other parts waiting to come out. Especially when adding the comments I made about schizophrenic people, as well.

RisingDragon, the mind, the soul, and the self; those are just spiritual beliefs, they're not really psychological. It is a Native American, Wicaan/Pagan, or hippie-type way of explaining the difference between the body, the mind, the actions, the soul, and whatever else may come into play.

I do not believe that each emotion is a seperate personality - these personalities each DO have their own emotion, and another section of the same book talks about how emotions are also set into the genes (or rather, tendencies to feel certian emotions and how they are shown). I do not believe it is a photocopy of and old part of the self either - because often, with a schizophrenic anyway, they ALL change as the person experiences more. New strong emotions however, often bring out or temporarily delete some of the personality(ies).

Simply the idea of a greater knowledge I think, it is a very large sacrifice to make. Isn't the absence of such turmoil worth a slower learning speed? Especially taking into account that anyone who WANTS such a high learning capacity, probablay already has at LEAST an above-average intelligence, or they would not thrist for such an extreme amount greater.