Three Christs

State of Mind

Title: "In the 1050s, typical treatments in mental institutions were Prefrontal lobotomy, Insulin induced coma, Electroshock therapy, Antipsychotic drugs and minimal psychotherapy" (0:01)

Psychiatrist Dr. Alan Stone: ”... I’d left teaching to begin an ambitious study of delusional patients... What did Lenny Bruce say?...” (0:02)

Attendant Benny tells Alan, “We need help with a patient...”
Patient Joseph Cassel cuts his arm. (0:03)

Poster “Lenny Bruce!” (0:04)

His wife Ruth asks Alan, “What would cause you to miss Lenny Bruce’s only night in Michigan?
Alan: "... it was a patient’s life." 
Ruth: ”Life in a mental hospital?” (0:04)

Patients in hospital (0:06)

Ruth tells Alan, "Freud said there were two basic instincts..." (0:08)

Joseph restrained to gurney (0:09)

Alan asks Dr. Francisco, "Is shock really necessary?" (0:09)

Francisco adjusts settings on a Medcotronic electroconvulsive therapy device.
With electrodes held on either side of Joseph’s head, Francisco administers ECT to Joseph. (0:10)

Alan tells Dr. Eldrich Orbus, "I’ve received multiple grants... to include schizophrenics in my identity studies..." 
”... your word that electroshock will never be used on my patients.” 
Orbus: ”Your article states, institutions are a warehouse for mental patients...” 
”... how would you suggest we offer more humane care to over 4100 patients, we, a staff of five psychiatrists?” 
”If you create an unsafe environment for my patients, you’ll be removed.” (0:11)

Book: The Divided Self by R.D. Laing
Alan’s administrative assistant Becky Anderson: ”Schizophrenia is a mental condition that makes it hard to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s not real, think clearly, have appropriate emotional responses, act normally in social situations.” "
Alan: ”... with a degree in psychology...” 
”You understand just how difficult working with paranoid schizophrenics can be?” 
Becky: ”I know they lack inhibitions, and their speech is bizarre.” 
Alan: ”Neological. Their words actually hide the meaning of what they’re thinking. These patients may appear to see right through you, pinpoint you... sexual impulses...”
”They tend to be highly perceptive... They may intuit what it is or challenge you aggressively.” 
Becky: ”Why do you want to work with paranoid schizophrenics?” 
Alan: ”Find out if there are other patients... who claim to be Jesus Christ.” (0:12)

Alan answers patient Leon Gabor: "... because there are certain boundaries between a doctor and his patient..." 
Leon: ”Address me by my righteous name...” (0:15)

Sign: "... DIRECTOR MENTAL HEALTH" (0:17)

Alan tells Dr. William Rogers, "Well, I interviewed three paranoids who believe they’re Jesus Christ. I want to... study their behavior." 
”Maybe one of them will... force them to change their identities... Maybe... give up their delusions.” 
Rogers: ”... curing schizophrenia?” 
Alan: ”It is an offshoot of Dr. Laing’s work...no shock no drugs.” 
Alan, referring to Orbus: ”If you tell him not to treat my patients.” (0:18)

Book: The Divided Self (0:20)

Alan dictates: "... Diagnosis: schizophrenia, paranoid type. Prognosis for recovery: poor." 
Alan: ”Mr. Clyde Benson... His wife Beverly died a gruesome death... He was arrested for drunkenness... He was committed. Diagnosis: schizophrenia, paranoid type. Prognosis for recovery: poor. Leon Gabor. Leon’s mother was a religious fanatic. She’d lock Leon in a room... told his mother she should start worshiping him as Jesus... Leon was committed. Diagnosis: schizophrenia, paranoid type. Prognosis: questionable. Three delusional men...” (0:20)

Alan: "... You will be the only patients here..." 
Leon tells Clyde, ”McCarthy’s dead, you idiot.” 
Leon, referring to Becky: ”She is raping my thoughts...” 
Leon tells Alan, ”... you are my patient...” (0:22)

Alan tells Orbus, "They’ll inhibit the patients..." 
Orbus: ”The patients’ safety is my responsibility...”
”... My physician says that the stress kills... these are letters from patient Cassell...” (0:26)

Alan asks Becky, "... Lenny Bruce?"
Becky: ”Why are you so interested in Lenny Bruce?” (0:28)

Alan dictates: “Is it possible to really understand someone else’s delusion? I think the closest I ever got was when I experimented with LSD." (0:28)

Ruth tells Alan, ”... It’s brave and important, what you’re doing... take your medicine.” (0:29)

Leon: "... another shocky boy..." 
”... shocky boy will rev up his generators again?”
Alan: ”No shocky boy...” (0:33)

Alan tells Becky, "... don’t worry..." (0:38)

Mrs. Rogers tells Ruth, referring to Orbus’ wife, "... She passed almost two years ago." (0:38)

Clyde bangs his head against the wall. 
Clyde tells Alan: "Beverly... She died from my seed." (0:28)

Clyde bangs his head again. (0:40)

Becky tells Alan, "... I couldn’t sleep" 
Alan: ”... Starting to get a sense of paranoids...” 
Becky: ”You mentioned that you had taken LSD. How did it help you to understand your patients better?” 
Alan: ”I lost the sense of my own personal boundaries: depersonalization. I hallucinated like they do...” (0:41)

Becky tells Alan, "Oh, the LSD’s starting to work." 
Alan: ”It’s a small dose. The effects will wear off quickly.” 
”... Use your instincts.” (0:47)

Alan asks Becky, "Do you have mental illness in your family?" 
Referring to her brother: ”Did he take his life?” 
”... You can’t prevent them from taking their lives.” (0:49)

Alan tells Rogers, "... I could even give them some suggestions that might modify their behavior." 
Rogers: ”... Why are you moving away from identity study?...” 
”Alan, you’re asking my approval to get directly involved in their delusional systems...” 
Alan: ”Jonas Salk infected patients with viruses...” (0:51)

Leon in quiet room in straight jacket
Francisco: ”I was called to attend a patient.” 
Alan: ”I’ll treat him. I’ll treat him. 
Leon: ”Shocky boy, shocky boy, shocky boy...”
Franciso: ”He’s agitated, incoherent...”
Alan: ”I said I will treat the patient.” (0:54)

Becky tells Alan, “Well, the purpose is for Leon to give up his Christ delusion, right?" (0:55)

Leon: "I was killed last night and got another body." (0:56)

Leon: "Psychology used to agitate his negative..." (0:59)

Magazine: "Psychology Now” (1:05, 1:06)

Joseph reads from the magazine: "... Three mental patients, each claiming to be Jesus Christ..." 
Leon reads: ”... One subject has... taken on another false identity...” 
Joseph reads: ”This patient claims that... the third patient thinks the other two are crazy.” 
Clyde: ”They are in a mental hospital.” 
Leon: ”Sir, there appears to be indirect warped psychology here.” (1:06)

"The Divided Self" on book shelf (1:08)

Ruth tells Becky, "... It was intoxicating..." (1:10)

Alan tells Ruth, "No more drinking, all right?" (1:11)

Dr. Abrams tells Alan, "I wanted to meet the mind that dreamt this experiment up."
”You are writing letters as someone other than yourself to patients.”
”... there’s progress being made with your patients...” 
”... What’s your greatest anxiety?” 
Alan: ”That we as a profession warehouse, drug and restrain patients rather than treat them...” 
Abrams: ”You’re telling me and the entire psychiatric hierarchy to go... itself...” 
”I share Dr. Rogers’ concern about what your involvement with the Christ delusional systems is doing to them... your judgment...” (1:11)

Becky: “Leon, there are boundaries that must be observed." 
Leon: ”Yes, there are boundaries...” (1:15)

Becky tells Alan, "I crossed a boundary, didn’t I?" 
Alan: ”... sometimes we have to follow our instincts...” (1:17)

Benny tells Alan, "Leon’s mother passed away." (1:20)

Joseph restrained to gurney (1:23)

Alan punches Dr. Francisco in the face.
A technician holds electrodes against Joseph’s head. 
Alan punches Francisco in the face.
Francisco prepares to shock Joseph.
Alan appears to suffer a head injury. 
Francisco shocks Joseph.
Alan faints. (1:23)

Becky tells Alan, referring to Joseph, "... He’s still heavily sedated." (1:24)

Alan tells Leon, "No, I had a concussion." 
Leon: ”Dressing like a mental patient.” 
Alan: ”No one is going to shock you.” 
Leon: ”A gowned patient can’t protect anyone.” (1:24)

Orbus tells Alan, "You interfered with an authorized medical procedure." (1:25)

Joseph tells Alan, referring to The Pearl Fishers opera, "Two men with the same woman." (1:27)

Joseph asks Orbus, "Can we speak confidentially?" 
”Whenever you want, you can run electricity through my brain... pour poison into my veins, make me forget my name...” 
Joseph jumps to his death. (1:32)

Alan asks Rogers, referring to Joseph, "... Was he terrified of being shocked again?" 
Rogers: ”Dr. Francisco was treating an agitated patient.” 
Orbus: ”Gibberish.” 
Alan: ”... You missed the cue to stop him in the moment before he jumped.” 
Orbus: ”Neologisms, nonsense.” 
Alan: ”Bill, you gotta stop this tragically insecure doctor from over-medicating any more patients, shocking...” (1:36)

Abrams tells Alan: ”I would like to arrange a transfer to New York for you, your family and your patients.”
”I would like you to continue to explore identity issues... I admire your empathic approach to schizophrenics...” 
Alan: ”... Is manipulation in the service of therapy proper?...” 
Abrams: ”... You think your patients will continue in New York?...” (1:36)

Alan tells Leon, referring to Joseph, "My heart aches for him... My parents were killed by the Nazis..." (1:40)

Title: "Though I had failed to cure the Three Christs of their God-like delusion they had cured me of mine." 
Title: ”... the American Psychological Association honored the study...” (1:44)