English

Noun

prosopopesis ‎(uncountable)

1. (parapsychology, rare) A sudden and profound change of an individual's personality, whether spontaneous or induced e.g. in hypnosis.
   • 1929, “Psychic research, Volume 23”, in (Please provide the title of the work), American Society for Psychical Research, page 381:

     Mr. Soal declares that while the presence of certain persons is favorable to his duplication of personality and while some persons actually aid the prosopopesis, others have an inhibitive influence.

   • 2011, Etzel Cardeña, Michael Winkelman, Altering Consciousness: Multidisiplinary Perspectives, ABC-CLIO, ISBN 0313383081, 9780313383083, page 105:

     Later, French psychical researcher René Sudre (1880-1968) discussed what he referred to as prosopopesis or the nonconscious tendency to impersonate, as seen in mediumship, as well as in hypnosis, possession and cases of double and multiple personality.

   • 1975, Carl Allanmore Murchison, The case for and against psychical belief, Ayer Publishing, ISBN 0405070373, 9780405070372, page 94:

     Walter is good-naturedly willing to be called a "secondary personality," a "hypnotic impersonation", a "mindkin" (C.D.Broad), a "prosopopesis" (Sudre) or "entelechy" (Driesch). In fact, he says, "You may call me anything but 'It'!"

Translations

See also

• dissociative identity disorder
• possession
• séance
• trance