Joe Rogan | Crazy Facts About Multiple Personality Disorder w/Christopher Ryan

Summary

In this thought-provoking discussion, the concept of human nature is explored through the lens of language and identity. The conversation delves into how individuals can exhibit different 'personalities' when speaking different languages, drawing parallels to multiple personality disorder. The dialogue also touches on the impact of environment on healing and the adaptability of the human brain, exemplified by the transformation of grasshoppers into locusts under certain conditions. The conversation underscores the fluidity of identity and the profound influence of context on human behavior.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Language shapes identity: The discussion highlights how language can reconfigure the brain, leading to different identities in different languages.
• 🧠 Brain and body interaction: The script explores the complex interaction between the brain and the body, and how this can manifest in conditions like multiple personality disorder.
• 🌱 Epigenetics and behavior: It discusses how environmental conditions can trigger epigenetic changes, as illustrated by the grasshopper-locust example.
• 🌿 Impact of environment on healing: The script mentions research showing that a view of nature can aid in faster healing, suggesting a deep connection between environment and health.
• 🤔 The mystery of identity: Identity is not fixed and can change based on various factors such as culture, language, and personal experiences.
• 🚫 Adaptation and maladaptation: Some characteristics that were adaptive in prehistoric societies may be maladaptive in modern ones, such as susceptibility to hypnotic suggestion.
• 🧐 The role of trauma: Traumatic experiences, especially in childhood, can lead to significant personality changes and the development of multiple personality disorder.
• 🌱 Nature's influence on the brain: The script suggests that nature has a positive influence on the brain, potentially aiding in healing and mental well-being.
• 🤝 Personal experiences shape perspectives: The conversation illustrates how personal experiences, such as the speaker's with his multilingual girlfriend, can lead to new insights and understanding.
• 🧬 The adaptability of human nature: Human nature is not static; it adapts and changes based on various conditions, much like the grasshopper-locust example.

Q & A

What is the significance of the different languages spoken by Joe Rogan's girlfriend and how it affected their relationship?

Joe Rogan's girlfriend spoke English, French, and Catalan fluently. When she switched languages, her behavior, body language, and even her personality seemed to change, which Joe likened to having different identities in different languages. This phenomenon was so pronounced that when Joe spoke to her in Spanish, she reacted as if he were a stranger, highlighting the profound impact language can have on one's identity and interpersonal relationships.

How does Joe Rogan relate the concept of multiple personality disorder to language and identity?

Joe Rogan suggests that in the case of his multilingual girlfriend, language reconfigures the brain in such a way that she has different identities for each language she speaks. He draws a parallel to multiple personality disorder, theorizing that the brain's structure and function can vary significantly enough between languages to create distinct personality traits.

What physiological differences have been observed in individuals with multiple personality disorder?

Research indicates that individuals with multiple personality disorder may exhibit different physiological states for each personality, including variations in baseline heart rate, blood pressure, and even ocular pressure, which could result in one personality needing reading glasses while another does not.

How does Joe Rogan's discussion on hypnosis relate to the broader conversation about the mind-body connection?

Joe Rogan discusses hypnosis as an example of the mind's ability to influence the body, citing cases where individuals undergo surgery without anesthesia due to the power of suggestion. This highlights the complex interplay between psychological states and physiological responses, which is a central theme in the conversation about the mind-body connection.

What is the role of environment in shaping human behavior and identity according to the discussion in the transcript?

The transcript suggests that environment plays a significant role in shaping human behavior and identity. Joe Rogan uses the example of grasshoppers turning into locusts under certain conditions to illustrate how external factors can trigger changes in behavior and even physical characteristics. This is analogous to how humans can exhibit different behaviors and identities based on their surroundings.

What is the significance of the anecdote about the grasshopper species in North Africa as mentioned in the transcript?

The anecdote about the grasshopper species in North Africa serves as a metaphor for how environmental conditions can trigger epigenetic changes, leading to significant behavioral and physical transformations. It underscores the idea that identity and behavior are not static but can change dramatically based on context, which is a central theme in the discussion about human nature and identity.

How does Joe Rogan's conversation about gravity relate to the broader themes of the podcast?

Joe Rogan's conversation about gravity, where he discusses the known measurements and effects of gravity without fully understanding its cause, parallels the broader themes of the podcast which explore the complexities of human nature and identity. It highlights the idea that we can understand and utilize phenomena without fully grasping their underlying mechanisms.

What is the connection between hypnotic ability and prehistoric populations as discussed in the transcript?

The transcript suggests that hypnotic ability might have been an adaptive trait in prehistoric populations because it could enhance the placebo effect during healing rituals. This ability to believe in and respond positively to rituals could have had survival advantages, but in modern societies, it might make individuals more susceptible to manipulation and advertising.

How does the discussion about brain damage and its effects relate to the concept of identity in the podcast?

The discussion about brain damage and its effects, such as impulsivity and changes in rational behavior, ties into the concept of identity by showing how trauma and brain injury can significantly alter a person's personality and behavior. This underscores the idea that identity is mutable and can be shaped by physical and psychological experiences.

What is the role of trauma in the development of multiple personality disorder as mentioned in the transcript?

The transcript indicates that individuals diagnosed with multiple personality disorder often have a history of severe abuse as children. The development of alternate personalities is seen as a coping mechanism to escape intolerable realities, suggesting that trauma can lead to significant changes in a person's psychological state and sense of self.

How does the discussion about the adaptability of the human brain relate to the concept of identity?

The adaptability of the human brain, as discussed in the podcast, highlights how experiences and environmental factors can lead to significant changes in behavior and personality. This adaptability is central to the concept of identity, suggesting that who we are is not fixed but can evolve in response to our experiences, much like the grasshoppers turning into locusts in the North African example.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Language and Identity

The speaker explores the concept of human nature and identity through the lens of language. They recount an experience with a multilingual girlfriend, noting how her behavior and mannerisms changed with each language she spoke, suggesting that language can fundamentally alter a person's identity. The discussion then pivots to the idea that different personalities can emerge under different conditions, drawing a parallel to how water behaves differently based on external factors like pressure and altitude. The speaker also delves into the subject of multiple personality disorder, referencing Stanley Krepner's research and the movie 'Sybil', to illustrate how individuals can present different physiological states and characteristics under different personalities.

05:01

🌌 The Mystery of Gravity and Hypnosis

In this segment, the conversation turns to the mysteries of gravity, with the speaker expressing curiosity about its underlying mechanisms despite humanity's ability to measure it. The discussion then shifts to the topic of hypnosis and its potential adaptive benefits in prehistoric societies, where individuals with a high susceptibility to hypnotic suggestion could benefit from placebo effects during healing rituals. The speaker also touches on the maladaptive aspects of high hypnotic ability in modern society, such as increased vulnerability to advertising and manipulation. The conversation includes anecdotes about celebrities with multiple personalities, suggesting that trauma, particularly during formative years, can lead to the development of alternate personalities as a coping mechanism.

10:06

🌱 Adaptation and Transformation

The final paragraph discusses the transformative power of environmental conditions on species, using the example of a grasshopper species in North Africa that undergoes an epigenetic change to become locusts when population density increases. This natural phenomenon serves as a metaphor for how human identity and behavior can change dramatically with context. The speaker draws parallels between this biological adaptation and the cultural shifts experienced by humans, particularly the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more urban, swarm-like existence in modern society. The conversation concludes with an audience applause, signifying agreement or appreciation of the discussed concepts.

Keywords

💡Human Nature

Human nature refers to the inherent characteristics that are typically attributed to the human species, such as emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. In the video, the concept is discussed in the context of how human behavior and identity can change based on different conditions, similar to how water (H2O) behaves differently at varying temperatures and pressures. The conversation suggests that human nature is not fixed but is influenced by cultural, social, and environmental factors.

💡Multiple Personality Disorder

Multiple Personality Disorder, now more commonly referred to as Dissociative Identity Disorder, is a mental condition where a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating identities or personality states. The script discusses this disorder in relation to how different languages spoken by a person can trigger different behaviors and identities, suggesting that language can reconfigure the brain and manifest as different personalities.

💡Epigenetics

Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the genetic code but can still be passed down to future generations. In the transcript, epigenetics is mentioned in the context of a species of grasshopper that changes its physical and behavioral traits based on environmental conditions, illustrating how external factors can trigger genetic changes within an organism.

💡Cultural Identity

Cultural identity refers to an individual's sense of belonging to a cultural group, which can influence their behaviors, values, and beliefs. The video discusses how cultural identity can shape a person's personality and behavior, as exemplified by the girlfriend who adopts different identities when speaking different languages, highlighting the interplay between language, culture, and identity.

💡Language

Language is a system of communication using words, sounds, gestures, or symbols. In the video, language is explored as a key factor in shaping identity, with the example of the girlfriend who changes her behavior and personality depending on the language she is speaking, indicating that language is not just a tool for communication but also a determinant of identity.

💡Trauma

Trauma refers to deeply distressing or disturbing events that can have long-lasting effects on an individual's mental health. The transcript mentions trauma as a potential cause for the development of multiple personalities, suggesting that severe and intolerable experiences in childhood can lead to the creation of alternate identities as a coping mechanism.

💡Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a therapeutic technique that induces a trance-like state of increased suggestibility. The video discusses hypnosis in the context of its potential for healing and the idea that individuals with high hypnotic ability might have been more likely to survive in prehistoric societies due to their ability to respond positively to healing rituals.

💡Placebo Effect

The placebo effect is a psychological phenomenon where a person experiences a perceived improvement in a medical condition after receiving a treatment with no therapeutic effect, simply because they believe it will help. The video touches on the placebo effect to illustrate how belief and expectation can influence physical outcomes, comparing it to the power of hypnosis.

💡Adaptive Characteristics

Adaptive characteristics are traits that increase an organism's chances of survival and reproduction in a given environment. The video uses the example of hypnotic ability being an adaptive characteristic in prehistoric societies, suggesting that individuals who could benefit from placebo effects during healing rituals had a survival advantage.

💡Environmental Influence

Environmental influence refers to the impact of external conditions and surroundings on an organism's development and behavior. The video discusses how environmental factors can trigger epigenetic changes, using the example of grasshoppers turning into locusts when their population density increases due to environmental conditions, demonstrating how context can alter identity and behavior.

💡Hypnotic Ability

Hypnotic ability refers to an individual's capacity to be hypnotized or to respond to hypnotic suggestions. The video mentions that hypnotic ability varies among people and can be a factor in their susceptibility to advertising and manipulation in contemporary society, contrasting it with its potential adaptive value in prehistoric times.

Highlights

Discussion on human nature and how it varies with different conditions, like water's state changes with temperature and pressure.

Observation of a multilingual girlfriend's different behaviors and 'personalities' while speaking different languages.

Anecdote about the girlfriend's reaction to being spoken to in a different language, illustrating the concept of language-induced identity shifts.

Research into multiple personality disorder and its link to different physiological states in different personalities.

Insight into the psychosomatic nature of identity and how it's influenced by culture, language, and personal experiences.

Discussion on the impact of environment on healing, such as the view from a hospital window affecting recovery time.

Mention of Stanley Krepner's research on multiple personality disorder and his consultancy for the movie 'Sybil'.

Reflection on the adaptability of hypnotic ability in prehistoric populations versus its maladaptive nature in modern society.

Story of a grasshopper species in North Africa that undergoes an epigenetic change to become locusts under certain conditions.

Comparison of human behavior changes to the grasshopper-locust transformation, suggesting we too change with our environment.

Analysis of how small-town and city dwellers exhibit different behaviors, highlighting the impact of context on identity.

Discussion on the adaptability of the human brain and its capacity to mold and change in response to different conditions.

Mention of celebrities with multiple personality disorders, including Roseanne Barr and Herschel Walker, and the possible causes.

The idea that severe abuse in childhood can lead to the development of multiple personalities as a coping mechanism.

The impact of brain damage on personality and behavior, with examples of Roseanne Barr and Sam Kinison.

The concept that identity is not static and can change significantly based on the context and conditions one is in.

Transcripts

the Joe Rogan experience hurry not only

individually but I think we very we

become different creatures in different

conditions sure people sometimes will

ask me like what's your you know what is

human nature what's your opinion you

know based on these books and I say it's

like asking what's the natural state of

h2o boiling is it exactly whatever

what's the pressure what's the altitude

yeah don't you feel like you're

different people with different people

as well yeah yeah I had a girlfriend a

Spanish she was her mother was French

her father's Catalan she was raised in

Spain and then lived in Miami which is

13 to 15 or something so she spoke

English really well Spanish French and

Catalan perfectly right and we were

living in San Francisco and I was high

or smoking a joint she was across the

room talking to her mom on the phone in

French and then her mom put her dad on

the phone so she switched to Catalan and

and I was just high enough that I

noticed like wow that's not Peggy

talking to different languages and at 3

cuz she would like put her hand on the

phone say yeah my mom said Dona

so English French Catalan it's not Peggy

speaking three languages those are three

different Peggy's she's different her

facial tics and her movements in her

body position changed depending on the

language she was speaking right and at

the time I was in grad school and I

thought this is like multiple

personality disorder so I started

researching multiple personality and I

came up with this idea that language in

her case because she learned them all

when she was very young

reconfigures the brain in such a way

that she actually has different

identities in those languages and next

time we were [ __ ] I started talking

to her in Spanish and she freaked out

yeah

yes like like I was I was a stranger

suddenly yeah

I just said so you know I just said like

you're beautiful or something she's like

Eddie's my guava

like get away from me you creep because

our whole relationship had been in

English yeah yeah it's strange so anyway

so I looked into multiple personality

disorder the story has everything and I

don't know if you you've checked that

out you member Stanley krepner my buddy

who came down with the pox with yeah he

had done a bunch of research on that and

there was a movie called Sybil yeah I

remember that he was the consultant for

that movie he was also a consultant for

Rosemary's Baby remember that the the

possession yeah yeah yeah anyway that's

a Polanski movie I think so yeah yeah

one of the early ones yeah people have

with multiple personality disorder the

research is bizarre it it seems to

indicate that people have different

physiological states in the different

personalities so you could have a

different baseline heart rate blood

pressure you know these sort of a

baseline heart rate yeah in the

different even it's now this is just I

don't know how reliable this is but I

even read that some people have

different ocular pressure so that one

personality needs reading glasses and

another doesn't yeah how much is

psychosomatic like really how much how

much of who you are and how you how your

body works is dependent upon the way

your brain is caching things right

culture language yeah personal

experience I mean there's all your mood

how much you slept the night before you

know all these things taient identity is

something we take for granted but it's

if you start to look at it it's like

it's like gravity you know gravity we

sort of included in our calculations but

nobody has any idea what's happening

right how does that work like oh that's

right the real touchy about it oh really

yeah yeah when I brought it up he I

think he's we had a weird conversation

and I think part of the word

conversation it was the first

that he's had publicly since he's been

accused of you know right he came back

from his conduct yeah well he was you

know they found him innocent according

to whatever internal investigation they

had you know when they were doing his

television show all right you know

planetarium but it's still even if even

if he's proven innocent you've you know

you've got the weight of who knows how

many people that think you're a creep

now right you know and he's carrying

that around because he was always

thought of as being this jovial yeah

sweet nice guy so he's a little tense

anyway that's why I start out admitting

I'm a creepy it's good ladies and

gentlemen I am a [ __ ] creep you can't

just take a Charlie Sheen shame Charlie

Sheen but we had this conversation about

gravity and it was weird it was like I

was arguing with him but I wasn't

arguing I was like I was like what what

is cause II like like what causes it and

he's like we know like he went into this

whole thing we know what did it we know

how to measure it we can but that's good

enough for me yeah it was it was a very

tense conversation that's interesting

yeah because it is a faith-based thing

there you know like he's right they know

how to measure it but we also know how

to measure placebo right and we don't

know how the [ __ ] that works we know

that hypnosis people can have open-heart

surgery under hypnosis or have limbs

amputated or all sorts of amazing things

with no anesthesia whatsoever cuz I

really been done you know yeah yeah yeah

have you ever been hypnotized yeah but I

don't have high hypnotic ability that

differs it's another thing that differs

among people and Stanley actually has a

really interesting theory

along those lines which is that in

prehistoric populations hypnotic ability

would be adaptive because a lot of the

healing rituals were keying in to

placebo response so if we have a certain

ritual if you're susceptible to the you

know you believe in that like voodoo

there's a you know voodoo death people

die when you're a spell is cast or

occurs because they believe it if you

don't believe it it doesn't happen so it

happens the OP

direction as well with healing so his

his idea is that that would have been a

very adaptive characteristic in

prehistoric societies

whereas in contemporary societies it's

maladaptive hmm because you're more

susceptible to advertising you're easier

to manipulate hmm yeah so I yeah I've

when I was in grad school I had some

professors who worked with hypnosis and

I studied it a bit along the same around

the same time I was looking at multiple

personality disorder because I was real

interested in this question of how the

brain and the body interact how much of

there's all this research showing that

people with the same condition in

hospitals exactly the same age same

prognosis and all that they heal

significantly faster if their hospital

window looks out on trees as opposed to

looks out at another building like that

just looking at something like nature

yeah he's the body into some sort of

energy that that helps it to heal

completely makes sense I've met people

with multiple personalities well rosanna

rosanna Scott doesn't she make sure

that's true I know another one that's a

weird one is the football player

Herschel Walker I think he had trauma

induced multiple personality disorders

Wow

does she there's the article as it says

like build build Margaret mines as she

does and then Roseanne says she doesn't

so yeah I think and then the sheet one

says seventh having seven personalities

as tough her saying it's oh yeah well

here's the thing about Roseanne I mean

you know I'm saying this for the tenth

time I guess she was hit by a car when

she's 15 and she's put in a mental

institute for nine months afterwards she

had severe brain damage and she lost her

ability to do mathematics and like

really scrambled her brain and that is

probably the birth of the Roseanne that

we know the comedian and that's also the

case of Sam Kinison Sam Kinison was also

like a pretty normal kid and then he was

hit by a car and you know pretty severe

brain damage as well and brain damage

for especially

apparently mushy has an impact on your

ability to be rational an impulsive

behavior like people with brain damage a

lot of times get very impulsive

it's very so widely yeah you know it's

what what happens to you dependent upon

like what kind of trauma where the

trauma is what part of your brain but

yeah when when they said it about

Hershel Walker I was always confused I

wonder if it was from football like

football trauma or was it personal

trauma like you know abuse yeah people

with letter diagnosed with multiple

personality disorder if I remember

correctly almost always were severely

abused as kids you know and in fact the

the rationale is that they develop the

alternate personalities as a way of

escaping a reality that's intolerable

makes sense yeah yeah I mean look people

do weird things with horrible memories

you know they buried them to the point

where they don't even really have access

to them anymore

yeah sexual abuse and some traumatic

events when you're young yeah but the

[ __ ] human brain then the way it

adapts and molds the things as so

bizarre yeah there's a there's an

anecdote that is in this book civilized

to death notice that segue it's by the

way that the art is done by a guy listen

to my podcast really it looks like but

the art by guy cheeseburger a chimp

wearing a cheeseburger with a nice suit

yeah again and I have found oh you have

a story so there's a species of

grasshopper in North Africa that you

know they hang out there grasshoppers

they're dispersed they eat grass they're

chill right rains come the grasslands

expand grasshopper population increases

then the rain stopped the grasslands

contract to the point where the pot the

density of the grasshoppers triggers

dormant genes so there's an epigenetic

event in these grasshoppers and they

start to

form and not over generations

individuals front legs get shorter back

legs get longer thorax changes shape of

the head changes coloring changes and

behavior changes from being these

chilled out solitary relaxed

grasshoppers they start attacking each

other they become cannibalistic and they

swarm locust locust exactly they become

locust so this species of grasshopper

and locust is the same species it's the

same DNA

it's just responding to different

conditions so you know we're talking

about the brain and you know who you are

and what identity is and all that and

this I was reminded this when you said

you know people are so different and the

h2o thing we're not only different as

individuals in the same context we

change completely given the context were

in yeah so the focus of his book is the

hunter-gatherers were essentially a

different sort of animal they were

essentially you know the parallel is

with the grasshoppers and now we're

swarming yeah now we're a different kind

of animal even though our DNA is the

same

well that completely makes sense I mean

people that live in small towns are so

different than people who live in cities

yeah it's so rare that you find someone

who has a small-town sensibility in

Manhattan gotta get chewed up yeah

literally

[Applause]