“Go Tell It on The Mountain” by James Baldwin (post 2): Symptoms of multiple personality are understood as being a religious experience

The climax of the novel, John’s religious experience, begins when “something moved in John’s body which was not John. He was invaded, set at naught, possessed” (1, p. 227). Afterwards, he asks, “Was I praying long?” Laughing, his friend answers, “Well, you started praying when it was night and you ain’t stopped praying till it was morning. That’s a right smart time, it seems to me” (1, p. 258).

Since John does not speak of them, he apparently has a memory gap for various things, including: “a malicious, ironic voice” (1, p. 228); “the Holy Ghost was speaking” (1, p. 229); visions of his father, mother, aunt, and friend (1, pp. 229-231); the ironic voice again (1, p. 231); “He did not know where he was” (1, p. 231); and “John saw the Lord—for a moment only” (1, p. 240).

From a psychological perspective, being “possessed,” hearing rational voices, seeing meaningful visions, and having a memory gap, taken together, are symptoms of multiple personality. Since several characters have such experiences, and they are not labeled as multiple personality, it probably reflected the author's sense of ordinary psychology, based on people he knew and the author's own experience.

1. James Baldwin. Go Tell It on The Mountain [1953]. New York, Vintage International/Penguin Random House, 2013.