Pierre Janet

ONE  OF  CHARCOT'S  MOST  FAMOUS  PUPILS;
      . . . was first to develop this well-known theory of Dissociation, as it related to the memory of traumatic events.   In Janet's view, individuals are born with a certain amount of  Binding Nervous Energy.

      In normal people, all the neural processes and their respective mental functions are bound together (by this hereditary nervous energy) into a unified whole dominated by conscious awareness;  the central feature of which is the experience of one's own self as an integrated, individual personality.

      If, however, an individual is born with an Hereditary Deficiency of this binding nervous energy,the synthesis of the personality is less well formed, allowing some mental elements to escape the control of their conscious awareness.   This loss results in the dissociation of memories and mental functions which in turn produces the Unconscious Pathogenic Nucleus of hystrionic symptoms.

      Dr. Janet is credited for first having employed the technique of searching for affect-charged traumatic memories, in his therapeutic approach of patients.   In many of his patients, unconscious memories of emotionally traumatic events were uncovered while they were in Hypnotic Trance;  giving rise to a better understanding and explanation of the origin and specific nature of their hysterical neurotic symptoms.   This technique ultimately led Janet (1898) to ^«The Traumatic Theory,^» as a genesis of neurotic illnesses.

      Following this train of thought; hysterical dissociations which included large clusters of associations and memories, complex enough to sufficiently constitute a personality, would result in the development of multiple personalities in that individual.

      These observations, and train of thought, led Janet (1907) and the Salpêtrière School in Paris to develop the conviction that the genesis of clinically observable dissociation lay in the realm of disordered brain functions.
      An individual's hypnotizability was demonstration of a pathological trait, since it gave evidence of a weak integration of the personality secondary to an inadequate quanitiy of Binding Nervous Energy.   Hence, normal people were not suggestible and could not be hypnotized!   A process which made it possible to split off certain mental contents from the manistream of personal consciousness.

            The Traumatic Theory validated the efficacy of Hypnosis as a Therapeutic Tool.