Dissociated Identities (aka Alters) - How are they formed?

Dissociated Identities (aka Alters) - How are they formed?

From PsyDactic by T. Ryan O'Leary

March 6, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 81

About this episode

Dr. O'Leary discusses the formation of dissociated identities and the failure to integrate the self during development.

Is it possible to house multiple alternate selves within the same brain? Dr. O'Leary argues that it is not only possible, but under certain conditions it is likely to happen. Dissociative Identity Disorder is discussed not as a "shattering of the self," but instead as a failure to integrate the self during development. Dr. O'Leary explores different biologically and computationally plausible models to explain how the self might fail to integrate during the normal proce...

People in this episode

Host: T. Ryan O'Leary

Topics covered

  • Dissociative Identity Disorder
  • multiple identities
  • self-integration
  • psychology
  • mental health

Keywords

  • Dissociative Identity Disorder
  • alters
  • self
  • integration
  • psychological models

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Dissociative Identity Disorder

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