Epilepsy in Dostoevsky's Novels

Abstract

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821-1881) suffered from epilepsy. Some type of psychopathology can be found in about 25% of the characters of his novels. Some of them have seizures. In at least five of them Dostoevsky clearly intends them to have epilepsy. Others are more likely to be created as people with hysteria or sometimes, for instance, possession. In this essay an inventory is given by more or less comprehensive quotes of different types of seizures in five novels. The seizures are named in the novels with a varying vocabulary based on the concepts of nosology in the 19th century, the knowledge of Dostoevsky of these concepts, his own experiences, and problems in translation and transliteration. In the discussion, analysis of the role these factors played in the understanding of what Dostoevsky really expressed is given attention. Special attention is given to the so-called ecstatic aura. This element of focal epileptic seizures is so rare that in the past the description of it raised doubts on its existence as such and therefore the embellishment by Dostoevsky, describing his own experience and/or that of his epileptic characters Kirillov and Myshkin. The consequence of this analytic approach, however, should not be losing one's amazement of the genius polyphonic creativity of Dostoevsky to integrate so many profound aspects of the human and especially the Russian soul in the characters of his novels.

What is orgasm? A model of sexual trance and climax via rhythmic entrainment

“…Notably, seizures with orgasmic auras may have originating foci in right inferolateral and temporal lobe structures (Aull-Watschinger, Pataraia, & Baumgartner, 2008; Janszky et al, 2002), which in other forms of epilepsy involve ecstatic states preceding lost consciousness (Picard & Craig, 2009; Picard & Kurth, 2014; Voskuil, 2013). In these ways, epilepsy-like dynamics may contribute to the phenomenology of orgasm as a ‘little death’.…”

What do Flaubert, Dostoevsky and Machado de Assis have in common with neurology?

“…Unlike Flaubert, epilepsy was present in at least six of Dostoevsky' s characters. In fact, epilepsy occupied a prominent position in his novels, in that the seizures were richly depicted and even helped in the construction of the personality of the characters 4,5,6 . In The Brothers Karamazov, for instance, a character with epilepsy simulates one of his crises in order to not be accused of a murder that he committed 6 .…”

“…In fact, epilepsy occupied a prominent position in his novels, in that the seizures were richly depicted and even helped in the construction of the personality of the characters 4,5,6 . In The Brothers Karamazov, for instance, a character with epilepsy simulates one of his crises in order to not be accused of a murder that he committed 6 . Dostoevsky incorporated his own suffering into his art and acknowledged the therapeutic effects that literature had on his health, although writing was repeatedly contraindicated by his doctors.…”

“…Dostoevsky incorporated his own suffering into his art and acknowledged the therapeutic effects that literature had on his health, although writing was repeatedly contraindicated by his doctors. Several times, Dostoevsky was skeptical about the prescribed treatment (bromides), although he had repeatedly sought the opinions of great neurologists, such as Moritz Romberg 4,5,6 . Machado de Assis (1839-1908) is considered the most famous Brazilian writer (Figure 3).…”

Ψυχιατρικές Εκδηλώσεις Στην Επιληψία

“…Πολλοί ήρωές του είχαν ψυχοπαθολογία και κάποιοι επιληψία. Τα επιληπτικά φαινόμενα περιγράφονται με ιδιάζον λεξιλόγιο νοσολογίας εκείνης της εποχής (19 ος αιώνας)88 . στόχος της έρευνας αυτής είναι να καθοριστεί ένα ενδεικτικό ποσοστό ψυχιατρικών διαταραχών των ασθενών με επιληψία, που παρακολουθούνται από τα εξωτερικά ιατρεία Νευρολογικής Κλινικής του Πανεπιστημιακού Νοσοκομείου Ιωαννίνων.…”