We are all in the same game; just different levels. We are all in the same hell; just different devils – Anonymous
The never-ending variety of the human experience has been explored in so many ways. Part of being alive includes being potentially subjected an eyebrow-arching array of syndromes, continuums, maladies, and out-and-out diseases. The purpose here is not to titillate the reader with the morbid or perverse. Yet, this article will explore the least poetic parts of humanity; also known as: “What fresh hell is this!” (Dorothy Parker quote) The focus here is to view the prism of the human condition through six diseases: Alien Hand Syndrome, Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID), Marfan Syndrome, Out of Body Experiences (OBE), Dissociative Fugue, and Kuru found in Papua New Guinea. Kuru similar to mad cow disease. The world is complex; so is disease.
Left and Right. The Garden of Earthly Delight, Hieronymus Bosch (1450 -1516.) Part of heaven and hell on earth is the range of human afflictions. These conditions reflect the range of human experience, in pathological form. Nothing in this article is a morbid celebration of illness; just a view of the human condition through the prism of pathology.
Diseases are manifestations of both physical illnesses and social pathologies.Many physical ailments are embedding in cultural understanding. For a deeper look at disease as a cultural artifact, see the related article on this website, ”Is Disease Medically Determined or Socially Constructed” found at: https://templesandtribes.net/physical-and-mental-disease-medically-determined-or-socially-constructed/
This current article will review six diseases from both a medical and cultural perspective. This ”Top Six” list includes:
Alien Hand Syndrome
I have never agreed with my other self wholly. The truth of the matter seems to lie between us.”
― Khalil Gibran
Alien hand syndrome is a phenomenon in which one hand is not under control of the mind. There have been forty to fifty reported cases in the last century. (study.com) The patients feel that the hand is “acting on its own” or ”disobedient,” and cannot be stopped. It is also known as “anarchic hand” or “Dr Strangelove” syndrome, after the film by Stanley Kubrick. The errant hand may act compulsively. The alien hand may also levitate on its own. The disobedient hand is uncooperative. The hand may do incorrect actions or fail to follow commands. The hand may also engage in purposeful, “self-oppositional actions” such as closing a drawer that the other hand just opened; or unbuttoning a shirt just buttoned. This syndrome, in rare cases, can also affect the leg.
There is no cure for alien hand, but medication and physical therapy can help.
Alien Hand Syndrome is a result of brain damage commonly due to surgery, traumatic head injuries, or tumors. In the brain, the corpus callosum is the nerve network that connects the two hemispheres of the normal brain. Language skills tend to be found in the left hemisphere; the right hemishere controls motor function. If the corpus callosum is split, the left brain (verbal and decision making) is not connected to the right brain (controlling movements.)
The effects of this syndrome can be startling. One patient went through a brain operation to control epilepsy. As a result, her left hand that was out of control. “I’d light a cigarette, balance it on an ashtray, and then my left hand would reach forward and stub it out. It would take things out of my handbag and I wouldn’t realise so I would walk away. I lost a lot of things before I realised what was going on.” (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-12225163)
In another extreme case, one female patient had a willfully disobedient left hand. For example, the left hand could sense when the right hand was holding an object. The left hand would involuntarily, forcibly take the object out of her right hand. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_hand_syndrome; see generally, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_hand_syndrome)
Alien hand syndrome raises some extreme questions. Can a person can be held responsible if the alien hand commits a crime; anything from theft to murder? This issue is bandied about, along with some very dubious examples; it seems like pure poppycock. (See https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-D0-0cXW71Q)
People with alien hand syndrome may sense that the hand or limb is foreign or does not belong to them. However, they don’t deny limb ownership, which can happen in other disorders, such as Body Integrity Identity Disorder. https://www.healthline.com/health/alien-hand-syndrome#symptoms
Body Integrity Identity Disorder
“Not that I hate my body. There are just parts of it that aren’t what they should be.”
Ray Stoeve
Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) is a condition in which a persons ideal body image contrasts dramatically with their able-bodied physical condition. More specifically, this condition characterized by an intense feeling that some part of the body — usually one leg — does not belong to them. They strongly desire, and often insist, that this superfluous body member be removed from their body. This discomfort with being able-bodied often begins in adolescence and increases over time. The continued presence of this extraneous body part can cause increasing anxiety and depression. People with this disorder may simply refuse to use that body part. However, many people with BIID have intense desire to make their body whole by removing the offending member. People with BIID will often take extreme measure to align their body with their self image; and thus feel complete. This article glosses over the details. (See for example: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3326051/; and wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_integrity_dysphoria;pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19132621/#:~:text=Abstract,transection%20of%20their%20spinal%20cord.)
People with BIID often claim their struggles are part of the broader transexual movement. In this vein, people with BIID may consider themselves ”transabled.” At first this comparison may seem odd. However transgender surgery often removes body parts that do not correspond to the individuals self-image. Then, the transgender physical body becomes integrated with the person’s self view; similar to the aspirations of people with BIID. However, the transgender community largely rejects any connection or identification with BIID. (thefederalist.com/2017/04/04/woman-demands-doctors-sever-spinal-cord-fit-body-mind-transsexual-man/)
According to several sources, including the respected medical journal Lancet, BIID might be a brain disorder, “attributing cases to a focal syndrome of the right parietal lobe” Yet, BIID is commonly considered a mental disorder; but not a disorder recognized in psychiatric diagnostic manuals. Thus, BIID is left without a home: there is no objective medical or psychiatric view to explain it. (thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(16)30381-9/fulltext.)
Marfan Syndrome
“I had to learn to be honest with myself. I had to recognize my pain threshold… Pushing yourself over the barrier is a habit.” – Flo Hyman
Some of the diseases discussed here are psychological in nature or have what is called a ”psychogenic overlay” That is not the case with Marfan syndrome which is clearly a physical condition According to the Center for Disease Control, Marfan affects 1 in 1,500 people. Marfan is a gene defect that prevents the body from producing a protein that helps give connective tissue its elasticity and strength. Connective tissue, such as cartiledge, binds, collects or separates other tissues or organs. Marfan can cause a host of body ailments as connective tissue is needed though out the body. People with Marfan can have mild or severe problems with eyes, heart, lungs and other internal organs. Marfan syndrome is on a continuum . The examples below show clearly show the full range of external symptoms, for illustrative purposes. Not all people with Marfan have all the external symptoms. People with minimum symptoms are considered “Marfanoid.” People can also have only a touch of Marfan and be largely unaffected by the syndrome.
Above and Upper Right: Illustration and list of Marfan symptoms. Marfan sightings by this author are normally rare. However, just recently, in local stores, the author saw two different people who definitely exhibited external symptoms of Marfan. He stood in the check-out line with one such person; the other person had a long conversation with the author, but at a different store. Later that week, the author perused a photo spread of attractive locals (translation: the author was desperately scrolling Tinder.) Lower Right: the author found this persons’ photos -used here as the pictures were already on the internet. The author edited the pictures to ensure confidentiality. .
External Symptoms of Marfan syndrome include:
Tall and slender build.
Disproportionately long arms, legs and fingers.
A breastbone that protrudes outward or dips inward.
A high, arched palate and crowded teeth.
Heart murmurs.
Extreme nearsightedness.
An abnormally curved spine.
Flat feet.
The tell tale sign of Marfan: long fingers. Commonly, the finger tips of a closed hand will extend down to touch the wrist. Try it, the fingers of non-Marfans will not extend below the palm.
Important: People can have symptoms such as long fingers for many reasons other than Marfan syndrome
Below is a photo list of famous people who have Marfan Syndrome or appear to have the syndrome, based on existing records. Marfan symptoms can help propel talented athletes and musicians to success. Many models and actors with Marfan go far in their respective careers. Thus, with talent and abilities, people with Maran can achieve great heights.
One example is Flo Hyman, the greatest female volleyball player of her time. Flo Hyman was a member of the U.S. Olympic team that won a silver medal in the 1984 Olympic Games. In 1986, she collapsed during a volleyball tournament game. She died on the spot of cardiac complications brought on by Marfan. Flo Hyman, and her family, did not know that she had Marfan Syndrome. It is an inheritable trait; all of her siblings are marfanoid. The Hyman family had no idea of this disorder at the time of her death.
Out of Body Experiences
“One foot in each world, riding them simultaneously; expecting not to fall.”
Kelly Proudfoot
According to surveys, around ten (10) percent of the population has had Out of Body Experiences (OBE) at least once. Is OBE the real deal; a disease to be cured; or simply an over-charged imagination? (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318464#When-do-OBEs-occur?)
In modern times, OBE has traditionally been considered the result of some pathology requiring medical or psychiatric care. OBE has come a long way: it is now celebrated as a high level of spiritual development. Welcome to the Age of Aquarius (song by ”The Fifth Dimension. Definitely worth viewing https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ajgeaOt_HTQ).
OBE has attracted a more serious attention and scientific study recent years. Yet, most of the recent studies are from the unkempt fringes of rigorous science. The U.S. military has investigated OBE and labelled it as a ”Gateway Experience.” Years ago, this author became interested in OBE after reading a New York Times article on astral projection. The article was in the Sunday travel section as the featured story — astral projection as a new way to travel. Not kidding.
Overall, there are three main explanations of OBE:
Medical Disease: In this view, OBEs are hallucinatory visual experiences. They are mental aberrations that involve seeing the physical body placed in an external visual space. Many psychiatric disorders, brain disorders, and altered psychological states are reportedly associated with this phenomena. In the medical model, there are six different kinds of OBE including: 1. feeling the physical presence of another person; 2. seeing one’s own body at a distance (doppelgänger); 3. not able to see themselves in a mirror OR the opposite mirror experience. That opposite experience would be: 4. seeing the mirror image of one’s own body or face either mentally (internally) or in the outside world (externally)
Externally Induced: OBE can be the result of outside forces interacting with an individual. The most famous OBE is from a near-death experience. This death knell OBE can range from seeing one’s life flash before their eyes; to watching oneself heading towards the light of the beyond. Externally induced OBE of all kinds can also be caused by hallucinogenic drugs, severe overexertion, sensory stimulation, sleep deprivatrion; or just the strong G-forces experiend by pilots and astronauts travelling with extreme speed and gravitational pull. This is called a “gravity-induced loss of consciousness.” Extreme G-forces can cause blood to partially drain from certain parts of the brain causing an OBE. This type of OBE can be similar to the enraptured OBE from a transcendental spiritual state.
“I was there. But I, like, wasn’t there. I was floating. I was looking at myself from outside of myself.” – Col. Dan Fulgham
(See https://www.cureus.com/articles/67007-astral-projection-a-strange-out-of-body-experience-in-dissociative-disorder and https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318464#When-do-OBEs-occur?)
Transcendental Spiritual State. The most common and most celebrated OBE is not a medical condition to be treated and cured. OBE is an “astral projection;”a greater consciousness on an extra-sensory plane. According to Mindvalley: “The thing astral projection involves non-physical matters, such as astral planes and energy — both of which are more of a spiritual concept than a scientific one.” This OBE is observing the self in “extrapersonal space” separate and apart from their physical body.
“Picture this: you’re lying down (or sitting, whichever is comfortable) about to fall into a deep zen-like state. Your body untangles itself from the stress of the day and your breathing slows down as you fall deeper into the darkness. All of sudden, you’re jolted awake. You look down and you see- yourself. How did that happen?” (https://blog.mindvalley.com/is-astral-projection-real/ )
In this light, there are many organizations and website that teach how to acheive OBE on a spiritual basis, such as Mindvalley cited above. Other schools of thought follow a more step-by-step pragmatic approach, such as using one of three techniques as set out in this ”beginners guide” (https://astralplane.com/how-to-astral-project-for-beginners/) — as set out Right:
The WBTB Method — Wake Up Go Back to Bed
Forearm Technique — a variation of WBTB
Natural Astral Projection — creating an conducive environment and using mental thought techniques
Finally, no OBE review would be complete without a discussion of astral sex. One authority on this subtopic says it best:
“Astral sex is sex on the astral plane via astral projection, a type of intentional out-of-body experience or OBE. Essentially, partners travel outside of their body to a dimension known as the ‘astral plane,’ where their souls are able to have sex. There’s not actually any physical act happening, but two souls are witnessing and experiencing each other wholly, in a very intimate way.”
mindbodygreen.com/articles/astral-sex
Through a social prism, how would people proclaiming their OBE be treated? They might be burned at the stake like the Salem witches, who were convicted of heresy to God for their OBE. They were accused of doing other wicked things which, taken together justified their death by fire. They received this horrible end because of cultural perspective rampant in the American colonies at that time. In other cultures, OBE enthusiasts might be revered as mystics for their direct connection to God. Note: This website has a related article that reviews in depth, with examples, this question: Are visionaries and mystics really just people with mental illnesses? See: ”Is Disease Medically Determined or Socially Constructed” found at: https://templesandtribes.net/physical-and-mental-disease-medically-determined-or-socially-constructed/
Today, from a medico-psychological viewpoint, OBE can be related to dissociative identity disorders. Dissociation is a rare psychological disorder in which two or more personalities with distinct memories and behavior patterns apparently exist in one individual. Dissociative identity disorder, previously called multiple personality disorder, is usually a reaction to trauma as a way to help a person avoid bad memories. This identity disorder is a broad term covering several types of dissociations. The most intriguiging of these disorders is dissociative fugue.
Dissociative fugue
“All night I flee from someone. I lead the chase, I lead the fugue. I sing a song of mourning. Black birds over black shrouds. My brain cries.”
Alejandra Pizarnik,
Dissociative fugue is a subtype of dissociative amnesia. It involves loss of memory for personal autobiographical information combined with unexpected and sudden travel and sometimes setting up a new identity. (webmd.com/mental-health/dissociative-fugue#:~:text=The%20word%20fugue%20comes%20from,might%20even%20create%20new%20identities.)
The word “fugue” is commonly associated with a type of symphonic music. However, according to the Oxford Dictionary, fugue comes from Latin fuga ‘flight’, related to fugere ‘flee’. Indeed, people with dissaciative fugue have both forgotten and fled. Dissociative fugue involves repressing memories, amnesia, with traveling or at least wondering away from one’s present situation. The amnesia that involves losing conscious knowledge of personality, memories, and personal identity. This type of temporary amnesia may last hours, days, weeks, months, or longer.
The ”fugue” part of dissociative fugue involves wandering or unplanned travel, in which the person may establish a new identity in a new location very different from their old life. Newspaper rachet up stories of people wandering into gas stations asking: “Where am I? What is my name” These errant wanderers are labelled simple as amnesiacs; but really, many of of them have dissociative fugue. https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-dissociative-fugue-4770158#:~:text=Dissociative%20fugue%2C%20formerly%20called%20fugue,setting%20up%20a%20new%20identity.
Some fugue states can last for weeks or months. Here is a short example of a short dissociative fugue of a twenty eight year old medical student in Nigeria:
“… while studying in his room alone at night, the patient suddenly saw a full human skeleton reading at the same table with him, sitting at the opposite side. At the same time, the patient claimed he felt unease and quite uncomfortable. He saw the whole room turning with everything inside becoming unstable and unreal. After this he had overwhelming fears and did not know when he left the room. Two days later, he discovered he was with his younger sibling in South-Western Nigeria. The patient had no knowledge of how he made the journey that takes approximately 8 hours by road. He equally could not remember where he slept the night he left his room, how he raised money for the journey or the buses and routes he took. The patient denied all memory of events for the 2 days from when he left his room at the university to the time he suddenly realized he was at his brother’s house, 634km away. The brother, however, reported that the patient appeared unkempt, looked exhausted but was fully conscious and alert on arrival at his house without any assistance.”
https://jmedicalcasereports.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1752-1947-7-143
Kuru Among the Fore Tribe of Papua New Guinea
“The primitive man has one quality, elaborated and maintained by the very necessities of his hard struggle for life – he identifies his own existence with that of his tribe.” – Peter Kropotkin
Background: Kuru is a prion disease. According to the National Institute of Health, prion diseases are a group of rare, fatal brain diseases that affect animals and humans. All prion deseases are progressive neurological disorders that are always fatal. This umbrellas of related disease are caused by an infectious agent known as prions. A disease causing prion is a misfolded version of a normal host protein known as prion protein.
Britain had a serious outbreak of prion diease in the 80’s and 90’s. The chain of causation was: Meat by-products from sheep were infected with prion disease (called scrapies in sheep). The meats were fed to cows. The cows thus became diseased with prions.(called mad cow disease in cattle.) Humans who ate infected beef products became infected (called Creutzfeldt -Jakob (CJ) disease in humans.) The sheep disease is called scrapies as infected sheep would scrape themselves against boulders or trees. Infected cows were called mad cows because the animals would run around and act beserk. CJ was named after the scientist who discovered the human version of this disease. The name does not matter much, as it is all prion disease. Once the source of human CJ was identified; the United Kingdom culled potentially infected cow herds and tightened up cattle production regulations. As a result, over four million heads of cattle were slaughtered and 177 people died after contracting CJ through eating infected beef. In the United States, there was no CJ disease as America had stricter regulations on feeding offal of sheep to cows. According to Ageconsearch.umm.com, world-wide about one million people are infected with CJ every year. The highest infection rate is among Libyan Jews. This author has no idea about any part of that last claim.
One problem is tracking and identify the cause of (CJ) in humans is the huge lag time between prion infection and the onset of the disease. The disease shows up in humans generally four to five years after becoming infects. The time from onset of symptoms to death is typically weeks to months. Note: Kuru among the Fore has a much greater lag time between infection and symptoms.
Details of kuru: Kuru is found among people from New Guinea The term kuru derives from the Fore word kuria or guria (“to shake”), due to the body tremors that are a classic symptom of the disease. Kúru itself means “trembling”. It is also known as the “laughing sickness” due to the pathologic bursts of laughter which are a symptom of the disease. The Fore practiced a form of symbolic cannibalism. According to their traditional practices, the Fore had a funeral tradition of eating the brain of the deceased. (Medlineplus.gov)https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_(disease)The epidemic likely started when one person in a Fore village developed sporadic CJ disease. This prion disease was thus passed around among the Fore as a consequence this funeral ritual; yes, as a result of eating the brains of their deceased fellow tribesmen. See:npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/09/06/482952588
Kuru was first discovered by outsiders in 1957. Considering the size of the tribe, 11,000 strong, kuru was in epidemic proportions. From 1957 – 1961, there were approximately 1000 kuru related deaths. More than two hundred Fore died of kuru every year in the late 1950’s. By 2004, the number of total kuru deaths exceeded 2,700. (https://emedicine.medscape.com) The Fore stopped the mortuary brain consumption in the early 1960’s. However, kuru continued to surface over the years; kuru could become manifest decades after infection — an extended time compared to other prion diseases. The last person known to have kuru died in 2009. In 2012, the epidemic was officially declared over. (npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/09/06/482952588/when-people-ate-people-a-strange-disease-emerged.)
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