The Original "Bourne Identity"

Ansel Bourne 

Among the first documented cases of this curious strain of amnesia was Ansel Bourne, 19th century evangelical preacher of Rhode Island who turned up in Pennsylvania as a confectioner with the name A.J. Brown after two months of being in a supposed fugue state. While under hypnotic suggestion, it was observed that he could assume either identity without either having any idea of the other existing.

Dissociative Amnesia...what is it?

Dissociative amnesia has several distinct patterns it may follow, including:

• Generalized amnesia, wherein an individual may fail to remember anything
• Localized/selective amnesia, often in which traumatic events are unable to be recalled
• Dissociative fugue: while in "fugue", or a disturbed state of consciousness, individuals find themselves in new and different places with no memory as to how they got there. Fugues may last for only a few hours, but may stretch on for months. Post-fugue, the person may assume a new identity, or become confused about their past identity.

As one can see, dissociative amnesia is not exceedingly 

prevalent among other dissociative disorders.

A strange case

Symptoms

• Trouble coping with emotional stress
• Memory loss of events, people, inability to recall personal information
• A sense of being separated from your body or a distorted sense of identity

Piece by Piece

Diagnostic Criteria

• Symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment
• Does not exist exclusively, not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance
• One or more episodes of inability to recall important personal information

Stats & Facts

• An individual may develop PTSD if they become privy to the traumatic events that caused their amnesia.
• Around seven percent of the population is affected by dissociative amnesia
• Only a small percentage of psychiatrists believe there is strong scientific support for dissociative amnesia 
• It’s more common for women to experience dissociative amnesia than men
• Trauma has been shown to have a direct correlation with the disorder

An individual trapped in a fugue state may feel estranged from their old identity.

Treatment

While there isn't just one tried and true method of treating dissociative amnesia, some courses of treatment include:

• Meditation and relaxation
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• A supportive environment
• Hypnosis or a drug-induced, semi-hypnotic state to attempt memory recovery

References

Dissociative amnesia: Management and treatment. (2016, May 20). Retrieved April 14, 2018, from my.clevelandclinic.org website: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9789-dissociative-amnesia/management-and-treatment

Durand, V. M., & Barlow, D. H. (2016). Essentials of abnormal psychology (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.

http://nchsbands.info/new/amnesia-brain-vs-normal-brain.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dissociative-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20355215
Rolph, D. (2014, March 28). The Ansel Bourne identity: A nineteenth-century 
     mystery [Historical Society of Pennsylvania]. Retrieved April 14, 2018, 
     from https://hsp.org/blogs/hidden-histories/ 

     the-ansel-bourne-identity-a-19th-century-mystery

https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric-disorders/dissociative-disorders/dissociative-amnesia

Trauma and Stressor-related Disorders. (Apr 17, 2018). Traumadissociation.com. Retrieved Apr 17, 2018 from http://traumadissociation.com/information.