Multiple Personalities and Eye Color

[The Patchwork King]

So, today I heard in my Gen Psych class that people with multiple personalities may change eye colors when they shift personalities. So, what is the cause of this? Physiologically or chemically is there a change that goes on? Could someone who does not have the disorder change their eye color just by sheer power of the mind?

Discuss:
Causes of change in eye color after a personality shift.
Physiological/Biochemical shifts after a personality shift.
The possibility that someone without this disorder could change their eye color voluntarily.

[error-dot-tar]

First of all, what country do you live in? If the United States, it's not "multiple personalities". It's Dissociative Identity Disorder, in which there are multiple alter-ego states. Not quite the same as personalities.

Second, it has yet to be proven scientifically. The claim that such things can change between each is speculation. As is the claim that biological illnesses can change, allergies, etc.

[Darkphantom]

You can't change your eye colour anymore than you can change your skin colour your eye colour is dependant on the amount of melanin in your eyes and the way light naturally refracts and is absorbed through certain mediums.

I don't think what you heard about dissociative identity disorder was accurate.

[The Patchwork King]

Darkphantom

You can't change your eye colour anymore than you can change your skin colour your eye colour is dependant on the amount of melanin in your eyes and the way light naturally refracts and is absorbed through certain mediums.

I don't think what you heard about dissociative identity disorder was accurate.

Quote:

Other conditions that can vary from personality to personality include scars, burn marks, cysts, and left- and right-handedness. Visual acuity can differ, and some multiples have to carry two or three different pairs of eyeglasses to accommodate their alternating personalities. One personality can be color-blind and another not, and even eye color can change.

http://www.barbelith.com/topic/21844

Quote:

More interestingly, there are cases of Multiple Personality Syndrome in which a person's eye colour changes according to which personality is occupant at the time! There have also been fairly recent newspaper reports about a drug approved by the FDA that has the "side-effect" of changing your eye colour. So, there is considerable evidence to support the idea that eye colour can change.

http://everything2.com/title/Eating%2520raw%2520foods%2520can%2520change%2520your%2520eye%2520color


I would not like to readily think that what I was taught in a college psych class was inaccurate.

[error-dot-tar]

The Patchwork King

Darkphantom

You can't change your eye colour anymore than you can change your skin colour your eye colour is dependant on the amount of melanin in your eyes and the way light naturally refracts and is absorbed through certain mediums.

I don't think what you heard about dissociative identity disorder was accurate.

Quote:

Other conditions that can vary from personality to personality include scars, burn marks, cysts, and left- and right-handedness. Visual acuity can differ, and some multiples have to carry two or three different pairs of eyeglasses to accommodate their alternating personalities. One personality can be color-blind and another not, and even eye color can change.

http://www.barbelith.com/topic/21844

This is not a scientific source. It mentions professionals but does not cite specific scientifically researched information backing said professionals up. It also mentions Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, of who her work with "MPD" (as called by the site, posted in 2005) is highly controversial among professionals working in the field, including those that specialize in trauma and dissociative disorders.

Also, it's a forum. Just like this is. If this has been scientifically shown to be the case, you'd be able to find information on it from reliable sources, not just on a forum.

Quote:

Quote:

More interestingly, there are cases of Multiple Personality Syndrome in which a person's eye colour changes according to which personality is occupant at the time! There have also been fairly recent newspaper reports about a drug approved by the FDA that has the "side-effect" of changing your eye colour. So, there is considerable evidence to support the idea that eye colour can change.

http://everything2.com/title/Eating raw foods can change your eye color

And where is the diagnosis of "Multiple Personality Syndrome" even recognized?

Quote:

I would not like to readily think that what I was taught in a college psych class was inaccurate.

You'd be surprised.

College level work requires college level citations. Please do not expect us to be happy with a forum post and Everything2.

[The Patchwork King]

error-dot-tar

The Patchwork King

Darkphantom

You can't change your eye colour anymore than you can change your skin colour your eye colour is dependant on the amount of melanin in your eyes and the way light naturally refracts and is absorbed through certain mediums.

I don't think what you heard about dissociative identity disorder was accurate.

Quote:

Other conditions that can vary from personality to personality include scars, burn marks, cysts, and left- and right-handedness. Visual acuity can differ, and some multiples have to carry two or three different pairs of eyeglasses to accommodate their alternating personalities. One personality can be color-blind and another not, and even eye color can change.

http://www.barbelith.com/topic/21844

This is not a scientific source. It mentions professionals but does not cite specific scientifically researched information backing said professionals up. It also mentions Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, of who her work with "MPD" (as called by the site, posted in 2005) is highly controversial among professionals working in the field, including those that specialize in trauma and dissociative disorders.

Also, it's a forum. Just like this is. If this has been scientifically shown to be the case, you'd be able to find information on it from reliable sources, not just on a forum.

Quote:

Quote:

More interestingly, there are cases of Multiple Personality Syndrome in which a person's eye colour changes according to which personality is occupant at the time! There have also been fairly recent newspaper reports about a drug approved by the FDA that has the "side-effect" of changing your eye colour. So, there is considerable evidence to support the idea that eye colour can change.

http://everything2.com/title/Eating raw foods can change your eye color

And where is the diagnosis of "Multiple Personality Syndrome" even recognized?

Quote:

I would not like to readily think that what I was taught in a college psych class was inaccurate.

You'd be surprised.

College level work requires college level citations. Please do not expect us to be happy with a forum post and Everything2.

You seem to be awfully caught up on the use of "Multiple Personalities". Get over it.

I'm just too tired at the moment to do any deeper research at the moment. I was hoping others had heard about it and I wouldn't get people so stuck up that they would rather correct and criticize the topic creater than discuss it.

Gaia really has fallen apart.

[error-dot-tar]

The Patchwork King

You seem to be awfully caught up on the use of "Multiple Personalities". Get over it.

No. Because the vast majority of information talking about "Multiple Personality Disorder" on sites like the ones you posted is flawed, unscientific drivel that is based on a very widespread collection of assumptions and misinformation.

Because it is flawed information like this that is the reason behind so much of the skepticism among professionals as to whether or not it even exists.

Because it is unscientific information like this that keeps an age-old controversy going and misunderstanding throughout society as widespread as it is. Media portrayal that doesn't even come close to accurate. They're finally catching up with the history of the disorder, as seen through United States of Tara, but that is one accurate detail among a sea of glamorization and misinformation.

And the fact that colleges still push this information forward as fact when it still hasn't been verified, partially because of the same god damned controversy within the community that is ironically being fed by people's attempts to push past it, is even worse.

As you said. I would be far more comfortable with the idea that college level courses shouldn't be wrong. That is one of the reasons why it bothers me so much. Because like I said, college level education should require college level citations. And that class doesn't appear to be giving you those. They are failing their duty to educate you and give you access to the information needed, and instead you have to resort to a Google search that pushes you right back into the beginning of the cycle by giving you unscientific sources.

Quote:

I'm just too tired at the moment to do any deeper research at the moment. I was hoping others had heard about it and I wouldn't get people so stuck up that they would rather correct and criticize the topic creater than discuss it.

Gaia really has fallen apart.

I was going to say something about how I don't blame you for the situation here, and that I blame the school that is failing to give you the information they promised to and that you paid for. Because the fact is, it's true. You have been mislead by those you consider to be an authority.

But your attitude is not their fault. Your response to this outrage is your responsibility as a citizen.

When someone challenges the authenticity of the education these authorities are giving you, calm the ******** down. Realize that it's not an attack on you and shed the persecution complex. Because it doesn't help. You get more pissed off, other people get more pissed off in response and nothing gets done.

This is a discussion. I am discussing the validity of the information being presented to you, and the fact that college courses are not giving you the proper tools you need to verify it. I am discussing the misinformation they are perpetrating. I am discussing how widespread this problem is.

I wish I could say that this isn't what Gaia has fallen to, because the Extended Discussion and all of its subforums are supposed to require citations of an appropriate level. It's part of the Rules and Guidelines here. But unfortunately, this is being forgotten. And forums like this one are going to s**t because hardly anyone cares about research anymore. Hardly anyone cares about validating the information they're discussing. And when someone finally does, they're seen as the enemy and chastised for being too harsh, being a stiffler, and for actually giving a damn.

When I give a damn about a subject, I ask for sources. Because I hate watching this misinformation continue to spread. And I hate how much it hurts the people that have to deal with it day after day. People that have to explain their condition to people, sometimes those that are supposed to know better such as therapists, psychologists, and college professors. People are affected by the pandemic of assumptions, flawed logic and misinformation I will dub as "Multiple Personality Syndrome".

And yet it's an outrage when someone wants to fight it?

Yes, I'm being preachy right now. No, I don't give a damn.

[The Patchwork King]

error-dot-tar

The Patchwork King

You seem to be awfully caught up on the use of "Multiple Personalities". Get over it.

No. Because the vast majority of information talking about "Multiple Personality Disorder" on sites like the ones you posted is flawed, unscientific drivel that is based on a very widespread collection of assumptions and misinformation.

Because it is flawed information like this that is the reason behind so much of the skepticism among professionals as to whether or not it even exists.

Because it is unscientific information like this that keeps an age-old controversy going and misunderstanding throughout society as widespread as it is. Media portrayal that doesn't even come close to accurate. They're finally catching up with the history of the disorder, as seen through United States of Tara, but that is one accurate detail among a sea of glamorization and misinformation.

And the fact that colleges still push this information forward as fact when it still hasn't been verified, partially because of the same god damned controversy within the community that is ironically being fed by people's attempts to push past it, is even worse.

As you said. I would be far more comfortable with the idea that college level courses shouldn't be wrong. That is one of the reasons why it bothers me so much. Because like I said, college level education should require college level citations. And that class doesn't appear to be giving you those. They are failing their duty to educate you and give you access to the information needed, and instead you have to resort to a Google search that pushes you right back into the beginning of the cycle by giving you unscientific sources.

Quote:

I'm just too tired at the moment to do any deeper research at the moment. I was hoping others had heard about it and I wouldn't get people so stuck up that they would rather correct and criticize the topic creater than discuss it.

Gaia really has fallen apart.

I was going to say something about how I don't blame you for the situation here, and that I blame the school that is failing to give you the information they promised to and that you paid for. Because the fact is, it's true. You have been mislead by those you consider to be an authority.

But your attitude is not their fault. Your response to this outrage is your responsibility as a citizen.

When someone challenges the authenticity of the education these authorities are giving you, calm the ******** down. Realize that it's not an attack on you and shed the persecution complex. Because it doesn't help. You get more pissed off, other people get more pissed off in response and nothing gets done.

This is a discussion. I am discussing the validity of the information being presented to you, and the fact that college courses are not giving you the proper tools you need to verify it. I am discussing the misinformation they are perpetrating. I am discussing how widespread this problem is.

I wish I could say that this isn't what Gaia has fallen to, because the Extended Discussion and all of its subforums are supposed to require citations of an appropriate level. It's part of the Rules and Guidelines here. But unfortunately, this is being forgotten. And forums like this one are going to s**t because hardly anyone cares about research anymore. Hardly anyone cares about validating the information they're discussing. And when someone finally does, they're seen as the enemy and chastised for being too harsh, being a stiffler, and for actually giving a damn.

When I give a damn about a subject, I ask for sources. Because I hate watching this misinformation continue to spread. And I hate how much it hurts the people that have to deal with it day after day. People that have to explain their condition to people, sometimes those that are supposed to know better such as therapists, psychologists, and college professors. People are affected by the pandemic of assumptions, flawed logic and misinformation I will dub as "Multiple Personality Syndrome".

And yet it's an outrage when someone wants to fight it?

Yes, I'm being preachy right now. No, I don't give a damn.

She did not give references because it was mentioned in passing. You can't give a reference to everything you say or lectures would be too long, boring, and cluttered down with "go here to learn about this." On top of that it is a GENERAL course which means she needs to go fast through the info without going in depth.

And yes, you may be discussing, but not what the thread intended. Which is why Gaia is going downhill. I want to discuss own thing, but stuck up p***k who feel they know more come in and start preaching about something completely different.

How about providing some information against what I'm talking about instead of just saying "that's not right, oh and by the way we don't call it that any more."

Edit: I'm much more likely to believe my own professor than someone who comes in, tells me I'm wrong, and then complains about not having scientific references without even providing sources himself.

[error-dot-tar]

How about instead of believing it, shed the apathy and look it up? You don't have to believe me. That's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that you don't have to believe them either, just because they have a degree. If you want to know, research. You may find that they're wrong. You may find that they're right.

I don't ask that you believe me, I haven't the slightest care about that. I'm asking you to learn. And question. And verify. In order to know how something changes, you have to first know whether or not it even happens.

[The Patchwork King]

error-dot-tar

How about instead of believing it, shed the apathy and look it up? You don't have to believe me. That's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that you don't have to believe them either, just because they have a degree. If you want to know, research. You may find that they're wrong. You may find that they're right.

I don't ask that you believe me, I haven't the slightest care about that. I'm asking you to learn. And question. And verify. In order to know how something changes, you have to first know whether or not it even happens.

Then you really don't have a point in being here nor are you adding to the thread.

[Recursive Paradox]

The Patchwork King

So, today I heard in my Gen Psych class that people with multiple personalities may change eye colors when they shift personalities. So, what is the cause of this? Physiologically or chemically is there a change that goes on? Could someone who does not have the disorder change their eye color just by sheer power of the mind?

Discuss:
Causes of change in eye color after a personality shift.
Physiological/Biochemical shifts after a personality shift.
The possibility that someone without this disorder could change their eye color voluntarily.

Eye color rarely if ever "shifts" because eye color is a product of pigments in your iris. I'm sure the darkness or lightness of the color could change depending on blood-flow through the iris and certain pigment combinations in eyes can appear different colors in different lighting types.

But the actual hue of the iris? No.

That does not change except in situations where your actual iris pigments themselves are affected. Like say through prolonged sun exposure directly to your iris. That would cause more melanin to be produced. Or if perhaps you had a pathogen that decayed or metabolized your melanin and was infecting the area of your eye and no where else.

From what I understand of Dissociative Identity Disorder, movement from one individual within the system to another would not prompt a change in melanin production, nor would it break melanin down in the eye. The best I could imagine would be a possible adjustment in stress levels prompting a change in blood flow through the eye. This would adjust how dark or light the hue of the eye is because of the blood flow levels darkening or lightening (for more or less blood respectively) the general area of the iris.

This would not be a change in actual color.

And with gray eyes especially, the illusion of color change is very common from even a change in environmental color. So that could create the illusion that the irises had changed as well if the body's facial expressions change enough with the new individual to adjust the light reflection off the iris. Or perhaps if the individual in question wore different clothing than the other individuals and that changed the environmental coloring.

But just as before, this is not an actual change in hue for the iris. The eye's color still remains the same unless the melanin levels change or a colored chemical is introduced into the iris.

Does your Gen Psych professor have a poor background in biology? It is more likely than you think as Psychology degrees are really not as biology and biochemistry heavy as they should be. Or perhaps you misunderstood what she or he was saying. You should probably go in and ask her or him what she or he meant by "color change"

[Recursive Paradox]

The Patchwork King

error-dot-tar

How about instead of believing it, shed the apathy and look it up? You don't have to believe me. That's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that you don't have to believe them either, just because they have a degree. If you want to know, research. You may find that they're wrong. You may find that they're right.

I don't ask that you believe me, I haven't the slightest care about that. I'm asking you to learn. And question. And verify. In order to know how something changes, you have to first know whether or not it even happens.

Then you really don't have a point in being here nor are you adding to the thread.

On the contrary, calling someone on clearly lacking research and expressing doubts on claims made in "begging the question" fallacy style at the very beginning of the thread is extraordinarily necessary.

Unless you want to be regarded as a liar, an idiot or hideously unprofessional about debate and learning you would do well to not regard dissent and skepticism about unresearched claims and fallacious unwarranted appeals to authority as unnecessary or pointless.

[The Patchwork King]

Recursive Paradox

The Patchwork King

error-dot-tar

How about instead of believing it, shed the apathy and look it up? You don't have to believe me. That's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that you don't have to believe them either, just because they have a degree. If you want to know, research. You may find that they're wrong. You may find that they're right.

I don't ask that you believe me, I haven't the slightest care about that. I'm asking you to learn. And question. And verify. In order to know how something changes, you have to first know whether or not it even happens.

Then you really don't have a point in being here nor are you adding to the thread.

On the contrary, calling someone on clearly lacking research and expressing doubts on claims made in "begging the question" fallacy style at the very beginning of the thread is extraordinarily necessary.

Unless you want to be regarded as a liar, an idiot or hideously unprofessional about debate and learning you would do well to not regard dissent and skepticism about unresearched claims and fallacious unwarranted appeals to authority as unnecessary or pointless.

Ima ignore that one, cause I've spent enough time debating on it and want to move on.

Perhaps it would be more suitable to replace the words "eye color" with "eyesight" which I believe is a little more proven? Physical traits such as eyesight and handedness have also been seen to switch with a personality shift.

So I guess the better question is "How does handedness and eyesight change from a personality shift?"

I can see the handedness changing more than the eyesight because the eyesight is often due to more physical conditions.

[Lucius_In_bad_faith]

A friend of mine thinks his eye color changes when he becomes either manic or depressed and I did hear somewhere (Great source eh?) that changes in eye color have to do with hormonal changes in the body.

But again, great source on the hormons, so I would doubt wether or not this is really scientific. And well, I don't tend to argue about bipolar with someone who has been bipolar longer then I've been alive.

[Recursive Paradox]

The Patchwork King

Ima ignore that one, cause I've spent enough time debating on it and want to move on.

I hope that includes an attitude readjustment about appropriately researching a topic and not making a load of fallacies when you articulate an idea. Or at the least appending a few qualifiers like, "I'm not sure but..." or "I think this is..." to your claims.

Quote:

Perhaps it would be more suitable to replace the words "eye color" with "eyesight" which I believe is a little more proven? Physical traits such as eyesight and handedness have also been seen to switch with a personality shift.

Proven? Through what sources?

Quote:

So I guess the better question is "How does handedness and eyesight change from a personality shift?"

The question about eye color was a perfectly good question. Just because it was answered quickly doesn't mean it was a poor question.

A lot of people don't know how eye color works so provided we ignore that giant overly defensive argument about how "brilliant" your teacher apparently is, this thread could actually be a very informative place to find out about eye color in general and DID in a more vague fashion.

Quote:

I can see the handedness changing more than the eyesight because the eyesight is often due to more physical conditions.

Handedness maybe as it can have psychological aspects to it. Eyesight not so much. I'd still like some kind of sources relating to it if you could.

If you can't find anything I'll try to look around for some resources using my grad school access. It opens a lot of scientific journals up to me that others would not have access to.