Whispers: The Voices of Paranoia
Encyclopedia
'Whispers: The Voices of Paranoia' is a narrative
by Ronald K. Siegel
. First published in 1994, it is a narrative about the extremes of phobias called paranoia
.
, that has uncontrollably spiraled to the point of extreme fear. Siegel spent time with these paranoids, talking to them, getting to know them, in order to find the root of their paranoid state. Below are some examples of Siegel's patients.
is holding Hitler's brain in their basement and keeping it alive. Siegel goes on to explain to the reader that Hitler is one of the most famous paranoids in the world. Hitler was convinced that the Jewish population was plotting against his motherland, Germany, and against humankind in general. In order to find out more about this rumor, and about Hitler's paranoia, Siegel decides to do some research that leads him to the basement, speaking to "Hitler" on a computer program run by a graduate student named Mike Steiner.
was trying to take him over, because he would see images, and hear a clicking noise while he would try to sleep. After studying Tolman, Siegel can't seem to help him until he speaks to his wife. Mrs. Tolman explains Dr. Tolman's obsession with the film El Topo
, and the fact that he grinds his teeth at night. Siegel concludes that Tolman's paranoia of a satellite is actually stemmed from the film. The images are just pieces of the film playing in his mind, scaring him, and the clicking noises are just him grinding his teeth in his sleep. Siegel tries to expose this to Dr. Tolman, but the paranoia has taken over so much that Tolman won't listen to the evidence.
There are thirteen chapters of these stories, each about a different person with a different story of their journey with paranoia and Siegel.
The book overall got good feedback. Readers have reviewed that the narrative taught them a lot, and is described as a "page turner".
. Siegel demonstrates the importance of getting to know a patient's life, history and loved ones before setting a diagnosis. The reader can see clearly that without having knowledge of the patient, Siegel could not have been able to help the people he has written about at all.
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
by Ronald K. Siegel
Ronald K. Siegel
Ronald Keith Siegel is an American psychiatrist, research professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles , and the author of several noted studies and books on psychopharmacology, hallucination, and paranoia...
. First published in 1994, it is a narrative about the extremes of phobias called paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
.
Paranoia
Paranoia is a thought heavily influenced by fear. This extreme fear mostly becomes so strong that it leads to delusion or irrationality. The paranoid thought usually consists of someone/something plotting against him/her. Paranoia can be caused by simple fears, exposition to a traumatic incident, etc. The "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", fourth edition (DSM-IV), the US manual of the mental health professional lists these as symptoms of paranoia:- preoccupied with unsupported doubts about friends or associates
- suspicious; unfounded suspicions; believes others are plotting against him/her
- perceives attacks on his/her reputation that are not clear to others, and is quick to counterattack
- maintains unfounded suspicions regarding the fidelity of a spouse or significant other
- reads negative meanings into innocuous remarks
- reluctant to confide in others due to a fear that information may be used against him/her
Summary
This narrative is a collection of stories of different people suffering with paranoia that Siegel himself has studied closely. All of the stories include a "paranoid" who has a common phobia, like dental fearDental fear
Dental fear refers to the fear of dentistry and of receiving dental care. A severe form of this fear is variously called dental phobia, odontophobia, dentophobia, dentist phobia, or dental anxiety...
, that has uncontrollably spiraled to the point of extreme fear. Siegel spent time with these paranoids, talking to them, getting to know them, in order to find the root of their paranoid state. Below are some examples of Siegel's patients.
Interview with Hitler's Brain
This chapter starts with a rumor that University of California, Los AngelesUniversity of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
is holding Hitler's brain in their basement and keeping it alive. Siegel goes on to explain to the reader that Hitler is one of the most famous paranoids in the world. Hitler was convinced that the Jewish population was plotting against his motherland, Germany, and against humankind in general. In order to find out more about this rumor, and about Hitler's paranoia, Siegel decides to do some research that leads him to the basement, speaking to "Hitler" on a computer program run by a graduate student named Mike Steiner.
Dr. Tolman's Flying Influence Machine
Eddie Tolman is the star of this chapter. Being a super genius, Tolman moved on to do great things. His paranoia, however, was holding him from having an overall successful life. He was paranoid that a satellite called POSSEPosse
Posse may refer to:* Posse comitatus , a group of men assembled to assist in law enforcement* Posse , starring Kirk Douglas* Posse , starring Mario van Peebles...
was trying to take him over, because he would see images, and hear a clicking noise while he would try to sleep. After studying Tolman, Siegel can't seem to help him until he speaks to his wife. Mrs. Tolman explains Dr. Tolman's obsession with the film El Topo
El Topo
El Topo is a 1970 Spanish language allegorical, cult western movie and underground film, directed by and starring Alejandro Jodorowsky...
, and the fact that he grinds his teeth at night. Siegel concludes that Tolman's paranoia of a satellite is actually stemmed from the film. The images are just pieces of the film playing in his mind, scaring him, and the clicking noises are just him grinding his teeth in his sleep. Siegel tries to expose this to Dr. Tolman, but the paranoia has taken over so much that Tolman won't listen to the evidence.
Whispers
Miss Lillian is an elderly lady with a common fear of the dentist. However, her fear has spiraled into paranoia that causes her to believe that the dentist has implanted little devices into her teeth, giving her the symptom of "whispering teeth" when she visits the dentist. She keeps a collection of birds in her home so that whoever if listening through the devices cannot hear her conversations. When Siegel gets to know her, he learns that she has trouble hearing. He decides to have her hearing checked, and when she comes back with a hearing aid, he decides it is time for her to face her fear. When she visits the dentist and is put under the nitrous oxide, she no longer hears the whispers. The paranoia mixed with bad hearing and nitrous oxide was the cause of the alleged "whispers", and by exposing that, Siegel was able to help Miss Lillian return to a normal life.There are thirteen chapters of these stories, each about a different person with a different story of their journey with paranoia and Siegel.
Allusions
Siegel includes a lot of allusions in the narrative in order to truly describe the feelings of not only his subjects, but the feelings of he himself as well. For example, he speaks a lot of composers like Vilvadi and his music in order to discuss his state of mind during his time with his patients.Writing Style
The narrative is written through the viewpoint of Siegel himself, in order to outline his own journey of paranoia through the patients that he has studied.Reception
- "A well-crafted tapestry...horrifying and utterly fascinating. Whispers is a hard book to put down."-Betty Ann Kevles, Los Angeles Times
- "Siegel is a skilled writer who effectively takes us into the paranoid world of each individual...Reading Whispers is like reading about an exotic and dangerous travel adventure."-David Neubauer, The Washington Post
Peer Review Links
- http://web.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid=14&sid=09acd30e-ab6c-43ff-be02-fad2cfe3f494%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=9405197696 - About 'Whispers: The Voices of Paranoia'
- http://web.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid=14&sid=09acd30e-ab6c-43ff-be02-fad2cfe3f494%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=9406162023 - Also about the book.
- http://web.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=11&hid=14&sid=09acd30e-ab6c-43ff-be02-fad2cfe3f494%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=54286161 - About paranoia in general.
The book overall got good feedback. Readers have reviewed that the narrative taught them a lot, and is described as a "page turner".
Whispers and Narrative Medicine
Siegel's narrative is a perfect example of the genre of narrative medicineNarrative medicine
Narrative Medicine connotes a medicine practiced with narrative competence and marked with an understanding of the highly complex narrative situations among doctors, patients, colleagues, and the public.-History:...
. Siegel demonstrates the importance of getting to know a patient's life, history and loved ones before setting a diagnosis. The reader can see clearly that without having knowledge of the patient, Siegel could not have been able to help the people he has written about at all.
The Author: Ronald K. Siegel PhD.
Dr. Siegel works for the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Bio-behavioral Science as an Associate Research Professor. He also lives in Los Angeles, not only contributing to works of text, but also working for criminal cases. In 2005, Siegel was an expert witness for the defense in the Robert Blake murder trial. A lot of Siegel's work has been on the affects of drug use on the brain and paranoia.Other Works by the Author
- "Intoxication: The Universal Drive for Mind-Altering Substances" (2005, 1989)
- "Fire in the Brain: Clinical Tales of Hallucination" (1992)
- "Hallucinations: Behavior, Experience, and Theory" (with L.J. West) (1975)
External Sources
- http://www.depression-guide.com/paranoia.htm - Paranoia
- http://www.paranoiamagazine.com/ - Paranoia Magazine
- http://roadtickle.com/the-most-extreme-phobias/ - Extreme Phobia
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-546529/Schoolgirl-died-developing-extreme-phobia-dentists-refused-open-mouth-eat.html - Real life incident of the dangers of paranoia
- Paranoia by Joseph Finder
- http://phobialist.com/ - List of phobias
- Narrative Medicine by Rita Charon