Imagineers of Tomorrow
Imagineers of Tomorrow
Notes recovered from
Dr. T's computer hard drive after the fire, partially reconstructed
using statistical methods.
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File: 874-Notes.doc
Preliminary notes
N is a man in his mid
30's, currently a permanent resident at Broadfields, who has been
referred to me by his normal therapist, Dr. H. She appears sceptical
of the validity of my methods, but given the patient's history is
willing to work with me.
N's medical history is
one of severe depression, anhedonia, and obsessive-compulsive
behaviour, with severe and persistent insomnia (19 on the Athens
scale) and signs consistent with post-traumatic stress. However, a
source of trauma has never been identified; the patient's forensic
history indicates normal physical, mental and emotional development
up to early adolescence, followed by a dramatic decline in mental and
physical well-being. N's parents are relatively well-off financially
and willing to try anything which might offer hope of alleviating
their son's condition.
The patient has seen a
wide variety of clinicians, who have employed a range of
pharmacological and therapeutic interventions, all so far
unsuccessful. N's depressive and compulsive symptoms have not
responded to SSRI, SNRI, MAOI, tricyclic or atypical antidepressants,
nor his insomnia to benzodiazepines, z-drugs, melatonin therapy or
sleep hygiene approaches. Psychotherapy and counselling have shown no
results, and neither have various alternative, holistic,
complimentary and experimental therapies. Expressive and art therapy
approaches have been particularly unsuccessful, with N displaying an
almost complete lack of creativity. Dr. H believes the primary
obstacle to be the unknown source of N's apparent trauma; she hopes
that hypnotic recovery will overcome N's apparently total repression,
leading to success with more conventional approaches. A detailed...
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...first thing that
strikes one about N is his passivity; he reacts to stimuli, and will
answer questions, apparently honestly but with little elaboration.
However, he shows an unwillingness or inability to speak outside
this, even on casual matters. His answers are often so literal as to
border on inappropriate. When he does speak it is monotonous, with an
almost completely flat affect. This makes casual conversation almost
impossible, and it is difficult to...
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...results seem to
indicate that N may at least be receptive to hypnosis. I have
informed Dr. H by telephone, and we have scheduled further sessions,
to be conducted on a twice weekly basis. This should...
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...seems co-operative
so far despite aforementioned misgivings.
Session 1 (8/10)
Began
with standard exercises, adapted to N's peculiarities. The induction
of the trance state proved particularly...
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...though
significant prompting was required to overcome the difficulties in
communication. However, the accuracy of short-term recall was high,
and the patient's lack of elaboration may prove to be a blessing in
disguise. Attempts to introduce false impressions by suggestion were
remarkably unsuccessful. Hopefully this should help persuade Dr. H of
the suitability of my methods for this case. I am eager to begin
serious work, with the possibility of tangible results within 6-8
sessions.
See
Appendix 1.1 for transcript.
Session 2 (11/10)
N succumbed to hypnosis
much more readily this session, and seemed less anxious. Given the
extensive forensic history and patient biography provided by Dr. H my
plan is to begin exploring N's childhood and adolescence in a fairly
methodical manner, and zero in on the point of trauma, which Dr. H
believes from her work must have been some time in early adolescence,
presuming that we are dealing with a single dramatic incident, and
not some pattern of more sustained abuse or neglect. I began by
verifying the broad strokes of the patient's history and exploring
his relationship with his parents and...
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...which continued
until the age of 8. Unfortunately, N's animated state did not
continue after the hypnotic trance ended, but I consider the results
of this session highly encouraging.
The dramatic difference
in the quality of experience demonstrated in these early memories
only underscores the essential truth of aspects of the biography
which I had feared might have been distorted, either by accident or
design. The fact is that N's childhood was, to all intents and
purposes, idyllic. His parents shared a genuine emotional bond with
him, and used all the resources at their disposal to provide him with
a comfortable, emotionally rich and fulfilling life, which...
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...session we appear to
already be verging on a major break-through. When we proceeded to
discuss details of the trip to Disneyland Paris when N was 12, he
became visibly agitated and entered a state of emotional excitement
that was unlike anything I have observed previously, or anything
mentioned in his notes. Indeed I was compelled to end the session
early and put N back into the care of the Broadfields nurse, who
seemed disturbed by his appearance. I was afterwards informed that N
has not been known to cry once in his entire time at that
institution, where he has been resident since the age of 19.
In order to prepare for
the next session, I did some preliminary research online about the
'Imagineers of Tomorrow' competition mentioned in the patient
biography, but was unable to find any mention of it. This is not in
itself surprising; though having his fanciful design for a new
attraction win him and his parents a trip to Disneyland was doubtless
a very wonderful event in the life of the young N, there is no reason
to suspect that an obscure children's competition from nearly two
decades ago would be memorialised anywhere. It is even possible that
N's parents misremember some of the details. I shall write an email
to Disneyland's public relations department; perhaps something
lingers in the institutional memory?
See Appendix 1.3 for
transcript.
Addendum (16/10):
Have
received a fax from Broadfields, along with excited note from Dr. H.
N has, for the first time, responded in art therapy. The figure is
striking; unmistakeable, despite the total naïveté
of the style. Three linked black circles, two smaller than the other,
a sort of frenetic mark-making round the edge, and the central circle
containing a crudely rendered face, heavily over-drawn with thick
angular lines. Despite the eerie qualities of the untutored style,
with its hints of horror vacui, it is clearly meant to be a
depiction of Mickey Mouse. Even in facsimile, the intensity of
execution is evident, with creases and damage to the paper visible.
This is a really significant development, especially so early in the
treatment. I believe I must be on the right track. Something to
happened to N in that park; presumably the trauma was only magnified
by its occurrence at what should have been such a joyous time.
Session 4 (18/10)
This case is one of the
most fascinating of my career. I do not know where to even start
interpreting what N appears to be remembering, as if it was a plain
statement of real events. I must ascertain for certain whether N has
ever been hypnotised before, perhaps by an unregistered practitioner?
We will have to cancel the next session in any case until N has
physically recovered. I have arranged a private interview with Dr. H
to discuss the appropriate compensation for the damage...
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...condition appears to have deteriorated dramatically. Dr. H has
authorised the use of chlorpromazine. I am
considering a formal complaint to the General Medical Council,
although I realise that my opinion...
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...not have sent that
email. Will consult lawyer. Have instructed staff that post should
not be opened. Have contacted the police but...
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...for the safety of my
family, I...
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File ends.
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File:
874-Transcripts.doc
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...were playing pirates. Cousin Susie was the pirate queen. I told
her to be. The sofa was the ship. The Sea Cat. I was the first mate.
We were hunting ocean dragons. I jumped wrong and the sofa tipped
over. The little table fell. There was a big crash. Mum came in. She
was angry. I explained what we were doing. She smiled and helped us
tidy up.
DOCTOR: Why did her mood change?
PATIENT: She said she liked our game.
DOCTOR: And where did the game come from?
PATIENT: I don't understand.
DOCTOR: Was it from a television program, or a film, or a
book?
PATIENT: No. I don't know. One moment there were no thoughts.
Then the thoughts came. To me. Some to Susie.
DOCTOR: You thought of these ideas?
PATIENT: I did not have them. Then I did. I don't know what happened.
PATIENT: I did not have them. Then I did. I don't know what happened.
DOCTOR: You sound a little upset. Where you upset at the
time?
PATIENT: No.
PATIENT: No.
DOCTOR: Okay. Now, let's move on to your sixth birthday party.
It says here...
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...looking forward to
our next meeting?
PATIENT: I don't
think so, doctor.
(Sound
of furniture being moved)
END
APPENDIX 1.4
TRANSCRIPT OF SESSION 18/10
DOCTOR:
Hypnotherapy session with patient [N], Eighteenth of October, 2018.
How are you feeling today?
PATIENT:
Not good. Must we?
DOCTOR:
[N], I'm sorry you feel bad, but you understand what we are trying to
achieve with these sessions, right?
PATIENT:
Yes. The other doctor told me.
DOCTOR:
Okay then, we should...
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...remember
the room where you slept?
PATIENT:
Yes.
DOCTOR:
Describe it.
PATIENT:
Disneyland Hotel. The nicest one. Pale wood. Patterned Walls.
Soft Beds. Parents sleeping in next bed.
DOCTOR:
Okay, and you went to sleep?
PATIENT:
Yes.
DOCTOR:
And when you woke up?
PATIENT:
They were all around the bed.
DOCTOR:
Who? Who was round the bed?
PATIENT:
Men. Women. They had masks on. To breathe.
DOCTOR:
Why did they need masks to breathe?
PATIENT:
Smell of apricots. Couldn't move at all, but awake.
DOCTOR:
Then what happened? Tell me everything?
PATIENT:
Parents were still asleep. Something on their necks. They lifted me
up, put me on a stretcher. Carried me out the room. Service
corridors, all through the hotel. Into the basement, below. Tunnels
everywhere. An electric cart. The other children from the competition
were there. Jamie and Liz. Could just see them either side of me.
Could move my eyes, just a little. Counted the lights. Four hundred
and seventy six. Then they picked us up again. Small room, then a big
room. Lots of equipment.
(Sounds
of movement within the room)
They
picked us up. Limp. Strapped to the benches. All three of us. More
men and women. Different masks. The black face. The benches tilted. I
could see the others. All facing inwards. They began attaching things
to us. Something on our heads. Wires everywhere. A needle in my arm.
All the colours, around everything. Twisting. The black face. All the
little faces breaking off it all the time. Pressure in my head.
Horrible noise. Could still hear the others screaming over it.
Screaming myself. The things in my head. The things I used to think.
Princes and princesses. Castles, space ships, pirates. Could see
them, they were real. But fading to grey. Could feel them leaving my
head. Only the faces left. They told me to forget!
(Sound
of a glass breaking, furniture falling over, footsteps)
They
told me to forget! They said I had to! I had to forget! (Sobbing)
I had to forget! The black faces! Or they said...
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