Ansel Bourne
Encyclopedia
Ansel Bourne was a famous 19th century psychology
case due to his experience of a probable dissociative fugue
. The case, among the first ever documented, remains of interest as an example of multiple personality and amnesia
. Among the doctors who treated Bourne was William James
.
Bourne was an evangelical preacher living in Rhode Island
. He had become known slightly for his 1857 partial amnesia in which he was seized with the idea of visiting a chapel. Up to that point he had been a carpenter. He published his experience in 1858.
On January 17, 1887, he went to Providence, Rhode Island
, then continued on until he reached Norristown, Pennsylvania
, where he set up shop as a stationer and confectioner using the name A. J. Brown. On Monday, March 14, he awakened in the morning not knowing where he was and with no memory of the preceding two months, still believing it was January.
After he was returned home with the assistance of his nephew, William James, then at Harvard University
, and Richard Hodgson of the Society for Psychical Research
traveled to study him. Under hypnosis
, they found, he could be induced to assume the personality of either Bourne or Brown, and neither personality had any knowledge of the other.
The story of Ansel Bourne was "most likely" an inspiration for the name 'Bourne' in the movie and novel series The Bourne Identity
.
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
case due to his experience of a probable dissociative fugue
Fugue state
A fugue state, formally dissociative fugue or psychogenic fugue , is a rare psychiatric disorder characterized by reversible amnesia for personal identity, including the memories, personality and other identifying characteristics of individuality...
. The case, among the first ever documented, remains of interest as an example of multiple personality and amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
. Among the doctors who treated Bourne was William James
William James
William James was a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher who was trained as a physician. He wrote influential books on the young science of psychology, educational psychology, psychology of religious experience and mysticism, and on the philosophy of pragmatism...
.
Bourne was an evangelical preacher living in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. He had become known slightly for his 1857 partial amnesia in which he was seized with the idea of visiting a chapel. Up to that point he had been a carpenter. He published his experience in 1858.
On January 17, 1887, he went to Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, then continued on until he reached Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
, where he set up shop as a stationer and confectioner using the name A. J. Brown. On Monday, March 14, he awakened in the morning not knowing where he was and with no memory of the preceding two months, still believing it was January.
After he was returned home with the assistance of his nephew, William James, then at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and Richard Hodgson of the Society for Psychical Research
Society for Psychical Research
The Society for Psychical Research is a non-profit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand "events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal by promoting and supporting important research in this area" and to "examine allegedly paranormal phenomena...
traveled to study him. Under hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
, they found, he could be induced to assume the personality of either Bourne or Brown, and neither personality had any knowledge of the other.
The story of Ansel Bourne was "most likely" an inspiration for the name 'Bourne' in the movie and novel series The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Identity is a 1980 spy fiction thriller novel by Robert Ludlum about a retrograde amnesiac who must discover who he is and why several groups, including an assassin and the CIA, are trying to kill him...
.
Published works
- Wonderful works of God: a narrative of the wonderful facts in the case of Ansel Bourne, of Westerly, Rhode Island, who.was suddenly struck blind, dumb and deaf and after eighteen days was suddenly and completely restored., 1858, M Cummings