The Woman Who Faked Multiple Personality Disorder and Fooled the Medical World

Or was her doctor the one to blame?

Photo by Pooja Roy on Unsplash

Psychiatrist, Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, or Connie as she was known to her friends, had a fascination with Multiple Personality Disorder. She’d never actually dealt with a case herself — it was extremely rare in the 1950s, but she read up on it hoping one day she’d get the chance.

In 1954, a dark-haired young woman she’d seen 9 years earlier, returned to her office. Shirley Mason, now 31, sat down and began to explain her situation.

She’d been experiencing blackouts and psychological issues that made her teaching and art studies difficult.

To Dr. Wilbur, it all sounded like fairly standard problems having known the patient in her college days. But in a session around 5 month later, her interest increased.

Wilbur knew something was different the minute Shirley entered her office. Shirley’s body position and mannerisms were more childlike and energetic than usual.

“How are you today?” Wilbur asked.

“I’m fine but Shirley isn’t.”

Wilbur sat up straighter. Shirley’s voice had changed. It was louder than usual. Something interesting was definitely going on.