Textbooks on Literary Theory have no theory for the Theme of the Double, Metaphor of Multiple Personality; Psychoanalytic Theory is Antithetical

Most college courses and textbooks on literary theory do not address the theme of the double. And those that do usually make the mistake of including it in the chapter or lecture on psychoanalytic literary theory (probably because of Otto Rank’s The Double, a Psychoanalytic Study).

But the truth is that psychoanalytic theory is antithetical to multiple personality, and that Freud, himself, did not make the obvious connection between the literary double and multiple personality. This is illustrated by Freud’s own analysis of E.T. A. Hoffmann’s “The Sandman,” a famous theme-of-the-double, multiple personality, story. (Search “sandman” in this blog.)

Why did Freud fail to make the connection between the theme of the double and multiple personality? Why are psychoanalytic theory and multiple personality antithetical?

Because Freudian theory wrongly assumes that everyone’s mind has only one consciousness; whereas, multiple personality involves multiple consciousness: In multiple personality, whenever one personality is “out” (in control of overt behavior), one or more other personalities are fully conscious—are “co-conscious”—behind the scenes.

This is not just theoretical. Clinically, in multiple personality, whenever you speak to one of a person’s personalities, later conversations with certain of their other personalities reveal that they had been eavesdropping.

Another example of multiple consciousness—the essence of multiple personality—is when fiction writers communicate with their characters. They find that their characters know things, think things, and have opinions that differ from their own. This demonstrates that the regular self and the characters are simultaneously and independently conscious. They are all parts of one person’s mind, but that person’s mind has multiple consciousness.

If you think I’m wrong about college courses and textbooks, please submit corrective comments. If I’m not wrong, then Multiple Identity Literary Theory should be added to the curriculum. Especially since theme-of-the-double/multiple personality is surprisingly common in literature. In fact, writers often include it, not for literary, but for personal, reasons. (Search “gratuitous multiple personality.”)