Artwork by Viktoryia Kryvanos

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID, formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder) shows us the true power of belief.

People with DID have at least two distinct personalities. That means completely different people can occupy the very same physical body. When one “takes over” from another, often the difference in personality is discernible to his or her loved ones not only personality-wise, but also physically.

There was a case in which one personality was allergic to orange juice and the other was not, both in the same body. When the immune personality was inhabiting the body, there was no reaction at all to orange juice. However, when the allergic personality would consume orange juice, his body would break out into hives. Further, if the allergic personality would take over even during digestion of orange juice, not having consumed it himself, his body would break out into hives. And then if the immune personality took over, the itching and even the hives would subside. All in the same physical body.

In some cases one personality is colorblind and the other is not. In other cases two or more personalities require different prescriptions for their glasses, and sometimes their eye color is even different. These are all documented cases, and there are thousands more if you care to research them. (Sources noted at the bottom.)

The point is that within one body, two or more distinct personalities can directly alter the body’s physiology depending on who is “in charge”. This is proof that our minds control our bodies. Proof that it is possible to change our physiology with our thoughts and beliefs. Proof that we can cure ourselves of ailments if only we can change our beliefs. The multiple personalities who believe they have a certain allergy do have it, even though their bodies alone don’t necessarily react to the allergen.

Of course, it’s easier for someone with DID to display these physiological changes than it is for the average person who has only one personality. Those with DID easily, necessarily, and immediately switch their core beliefs by switching their personalities, whether or not it’s voluntary. It’s not so easy for us (assuming we don’t have DID) to make such a switch, but it is possible.

People with DID don’t just believe they do or don’t have an allergy. They know it. Knowing something is the deepest level of belief, and it’s not easy to change, sometimes even in the face of evidence to the contrary of that supposed knowledge. You can believe anything, no matter how ridiculous it may seem to others, and if you believe it to the point where you know it’s true, it will be true for you. Reality is subjective. But the subconscious mind is tough to change, even tougher to fool, so if you consider a belief like elephants can fly, or two plus two equals five, you won’t be able to convince yourself of it no matter how hard you try. You’ve never seen evidence of it or even a valid supporting argument, and every shred of evidence and logic you’ve ever known has shown that it is impossible for elephants to fly, and impossible for two plus two to equal five.

So it is with your allergies, eye color, or any physical manifestation you can think of. They’re all deeply ingrained in us to the point that we know we have or do not have them. Thankfully, with allergies and other physiological issues, the belief of their existence is not on as deep a level as the very obvious, basic beliefs that elephants cannot fly and two plus two equals four.

Hopefully after reading this your deleterious beliefs about your physiology will be even less set in stone.

In this post about the placebo effect, I discussed a few cases of patients who rid themselves of terminal diseases by changing their thoughts. If patients with terminal cancer have cured themselves via thought alone, and people with DID can change supposedly unchangeable physical characteristics, that means we, the fortunate ones whose main worries are allergies, sicknesses, or whatever less severe ailments we may have, are fully capable of healing ourselves by adopting beneficial thoughts and beliefs.

And if this is the case, imagine how much easier it is to change the harmful beliefs given to us by society and/or the media: the economy is collapsing; global warming will end life as we know it; you’re not successful unless you’re married with kids in a house with two cars; being gay is good/bad; abortion is good/ok/bad/murder; you need to get a job and work until the age of 65; and others. For each of these types of beliefs, there are plenty of valid arguments for each side, so all we have to do is determine which belief would be most beneficial, then adopt the belief. Or, with regard to current events, ignore them altogether. That’s always an option.

There are deeper, more far-reaching beliefs that affect our very being which we can either shun or embrace. I’ll use my favorite example, materialism, which is the belief that physical reality is all there is to life, consciousness arises from physical matter, and when we die our consciousness is extinguished. I held that belief very strongly for most of my adult life up until perhaps two years ago. I can say definitively that I am generally much, much happier believing, knowing that we are eternal consciousnesses temporarily, willingly immersed in this physical reality. It makes life more of a game, removes the fear of death, diminishes the sadness of loved ones lost, makes one more courageous, kinder, more empathetic, and more loving. These are all good traits to have both for the individual and the world.

How do you go from believing, or knowing one thing to knowing the opposite? By reading and immersing yourself in literature written by intelligent, sane, respectable people. That’s really all you have to do. When you read books and articles written articulately and coherently by authors with certain beliefs, and you keep pounding your mind with their reasoning and beliefs, while keeping an open mind, it’s perhaps impossible not to at least question your beliefs or even outright change them.

You are what you read.

So, for example, if you’re a materialist, if you read the books/blogs/articles below, I defy you not to at least question your materialistic beliefs if not outright jump ship:

Proof of Heaven (This one will blow your mind – the story of a neurosurgeon’s near-death experience.)

Seth Speaks

Steve Pavlina’s Blog’s Spirituality Category

Amazing Near-Death Experience: Mellen-Thomas Benedict

www.erinpavlina.com (this one may seem really wacky if you don’t read the others first)

There are thousands of other reputable books and articles you can search and read. Imagine just for a minute if you truly believed, you knew that this life is but a chosen dream of sorts. Imagine how much more fun and less fear you would have as you went through life.

Materialism is just one example, but it ties together closely with DID. The fact that those with DID can immediately and literally change their eye color or their allergies with their beliefs is a testament to the power of belief. Consider how much better you can make your world, your life, by changing your beliefs. It’s much easier to change the belief that you’re not worthy, or that you’ll never be successful, or that you’ll never be good enough, than it is to change the belief that your eyes are blue. And the latter is possible.

Of course, it takes work. But no work is more worthy or more rewarding than this kind of work. It is the work of happiness.

__________

Sources:

Probing the Enigma of Multiple Personality

Multiple Personality Disorder: an alternative theory

Dissociative Disorders: Splitting Consciousness

Header Photo Credit: http://ashish2013dotcom.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/19/