Thanks Zetetic for giving your time for an in depth reply, much appreciated.
With regards to your request for a peer reviewed meta analysis of the existing evidence. Well I reckon you’ll find that in Dr David Lewis book, “The Man Who Invented Hitler”. A synopsis of which is provided as the first link posted.
At that link you will find in the “about” section that the author Dr Lewis is a reputable author, with suitable qualifications to discuss the issue of Hitler and hysterical blindness.
“French born Dr David Lewis, a neuropsychologist, best selling author and historical researcher, obtained his doctorate in experimental psychology at the University of Sussex. He later lectured there before quitting to become a full time research and author. He has written widely on the psychology of totalitarianism especially in relation to the rise of Adolf Hitler and National Socialism with articles appearing in such publications as International History and The Criminologist.”—the first paragraph at the “about”
Now fair enough, I personally haven’t done the meta analysis and haven’t presented one done by another—however I have provided the conclusions of research done on the subject by a respectable source.
Since you’ve requested more information, of a better quality, please have a look through this.
Köpf G. The hysterical blindness of Adolf Hitler: history of a medical. Rev Psiq Clín 2006;33:218-224. [ Links ]”
Now this journal article is particularly interesting for it provides evidence that supports my belief that Dr Lewis does consider the veracity of Hitlers hysterical blindness as Dr Lewis is used as a source for both Hitler being Hysterically blind and arguments against Hitlers hysterical blindness. I would presume that since Dr Lewis considers both sides, yet is holding that Hitler was hysterically blind that Dr Lewis does indeed provide some form of meta analysis of the situation in his Book “The man who invented Hitler” – a review of which was linked.
Quite right that is a book review. It’s a review of a book authored by Dr Thomas Weber MSt., DPhil (Oxon), FRHistS. Lecturer in Modern European, International, and Global Political History & Director, Centre for Global Security and Governance, also Reader in History and Director of the Centre for Global Security and Governance at the University of Aberdeen. Dr Weber also seems to me like another respectable source on the subject in question.
The book in question I presume will also provide you with a bibliography and likely more information than either you or I care to examine for ourselves. I put it to you that Dr Weber is a respectable source, that his account supports Dr Lewis on the issue of Hitlers hysterical blindess and the use of autosuggestion as a treatment.
Further you have quoted the following as evidence for the 2nd link in question being inadequate ;
“Hitler himself claimed that the war ended for him when he had to spend weeks in an army hospital after having been blinded by mustard gas. Circumstantial evidence and hearsay, however, have led to the suggestion that Hitler was, in fact, suffering from and treated for psychosomatic blindness. This hypothesis could never be conclusively tested, as Hitler had his medical file destroyed and had his henchmen kill those people with knowledge of the file,” said Dr Weber
However perhaps in your scanning of the 2nd link you did not read the paragraph that follows the above quote. I include it fyi.
The letters made available to him (Dr Weber) were exchanged between two prominent American physicians and confirm that Hitler was treated for hysterical amblyiopia, the psychiatric or conversion disorder commonly known as hysterical blindness. This previously unseen evidence is included in the paperback version of Hitler’s First War, due out on October 13.
I put it to you that the link is indeed “very good supporting evidence”!
Now onto what Hitler himself said about the occasion...
In Mein Kampf (which most scholars agree cannot be taken as completely factual),
Hitler (1925/1999) reports that on the evening of October 13, 1918, gas shells rained on them “all night
more or less violently. As early as midnight, a number of us passed out, a few of our comrades forever.
Toward morning I, too, was seized with pain which grew worse with every quarter hour, and at seven in
the morning I stumbled and tottered back with burning eyes; taking with me my last report of the war. A
few hours later, my eyes had turned into glowing coals; it had grown dark around me” (p. 202). During
the next month, Hitler stated that the piercing pain in his eyes had diminished and that he could now
perceive broad outlines of objects around him. He wrote that he began to believe that he would recover
his eyesight well enough to work again but not well enough to be able to draw again.
On November 10, Hitler reported that a pastor came to the hospital to announce that Germany would
capitulate and that the German fatherland would thus be exposed to “dire oppression.” Hitler reported,
“Again everything went black before my eyes; I tottered and groped my way back to the dormitory,
threw myself on my bunk, and dug my burning head into my blanket and pillow” (p. 204).
copy pasted from
http://vanilla47.com/Adolf%20Hitler%20Mein%20Kampf/Understanding%20Madmen%20A%20DSM-IV%20Assessment%20of%20Adolf%20Hitler%20Individual%20Differences%20Research%202007,%20Vol.%205,%20No.%201%20pp.%2030-43.pdf
Mein Kampf, aka Hitler himself, supports that Hitler certainly did suffer blindness during the time period in question. Secondly of note Hitler wrote that “again everything went black before my eyes” upon receiving news of Germany’s surrender, revealing that he was indeed not blinded by mustard gas, but instead suffered mentally to such an extent it affect his vision. Also that Hitler was in hospital at the time the Pastor gave the news revealed that he indeed was in hospital and for blindness.
Are we there yet? Have I provided enough evidence for LW to remove those −1′s and start placing them instead upon the “loopy” comment that obviously did far less research on the matter than myself?
Probably not, newbies, especially outspoken newbs, are always treated more harshly than long timers, that’s just the way of things. Observationally it seems quite a few members of LW for all their support of rationality are prone to the bias that is known as :
group-serving bias—explaining away outgroup member’ positive behaviours; also attributing negative behaviours to their dispositions (while excusing such behaviour by one’s own group).
(Myers, D. Social Psychology 10th ed. 2010)
Thanks Zetetic for giving your time for an in depth reply, much appreciated.
With regards to your request for a peer reviewed meta analysis of the existing evidence. Well I reckon you’ll find that in Dr David Lewis book, “The Man Who Invented Hitler”. A synopsis of which is provided as the first link posted.
http://www.dredmundforster.info/1-edmund-forster-adolf-hitler
At that link you will find in the “about” section that the author Dr Lewis is a reputable author, with suitable qualifications to discuss the issue of Hitler and hysterical blindness.
“French born Dr David Lewis, a neuropsychologist, best selling author and historical researcher, obtained his doctorate in experimental psychology at the University of Sussex. He later lectured there before quitting to become a full time research and author. He has written widely on the psychology of totalitarianism especially in relation to the rise of Adolf Hitler and National Socialism with articles appearing in such publications as International History and The Criminologist.”—the first paragraph at the “about”
http://www.dredmundforster.info/about-dr-david-lewis
This is supported on wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lewis_(psychologist)
Now fair enough, I personally haven’t done the meta analysis and haven’t presented one done by another—however I have provided the conclusions of research done on the subject by a respectable source.
Since you’ve requested more information, of a better quality, please have a look through this.
“It is known that Forster treated Hitler with auto-suggestion which allowed Hitler, on November 19th, 1918, a week after the end of the War, to be fully recovered, discharged, and returned to his regiment in Munich2,4.” http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0004-282X2010000500032&script=sci_arttext
which has a bibliography that uses the aforementioned Dr Lewis as a reference. I include references 2, 3, 4 fyi, from the last link above.
Now this journal article is particularly interesting for it provides evidence that supports my belief that Dr Lewis does consider the veracity of Hitlers hysterical blindness as Dr Lewis is used as a source for both Hitler being Hysterically blind and arguments against Hitlers hysterical blindness. I would presume that since Dr Lewis considers both sides, yet is holding that Hitler was hysterically blind that Dr Lewis does indeed provide some form of meta analysis of the situation in his Book “The man who invented Hitler” – a review of which was linked.
Now onto the second link… http://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/archive-details-10772.php
Quite right that is a book review. It’s a review of a book authored by Dr Thomas Weber MSt., DPhil (Oxon), FRHistS. Lecturer in Modern European, International, and Global Political History & Director, Centre for Global Security and Governance, also Reader in History and Director of the Centre for Global Security and Governance at the University of Aberdeen. Dr Weber also seems to me like another respectable source on the subject in question.
The book in question I presume will also provide you with a bibliography and likely more information than either you or I care to examine for ourselves. I put it to you that Dr Weber is a respectable source, that his account supports Dr Lewis on the issue of Hitlers hysterical blindess and the use of autosuggestion as a treatment.
Further you have quoted the following as evidence for the 2nd link in question being inadequate ;
However perhaps in your scanning of the 2nd link you did not read the paragraph that follows the above quote. I include it fyi.
I put it to you that the link is indeed “very good supporting evidence”!
Now onto what Hitler himself said about the occasion...
Mein Kampf, aka Hitler himself, supports that Hitler certainly did suffer blindness during the time period in question. Secondly of note Hitler wrote that “again everything went black before my eyes” upon receiving news of Germany’s surrender, revealing that he was indeed not blinded by mustard gas, but instead suffered mentally to such an extent it affect his vision. Also that Hitler was in hospital at the time the Pastor gave the news revealed that he indeed was in hospital and for blindness.
Are we there yet? Have I provided enough evidence for LW to remove those −1′s and start placing them instead upon the “loopy” comment that obviously did far less research on the matter than myself? Probably not, newbies, especially outspoken newbs, are always treated more harshly than long timers, that’s just the way of things. Observationally it seems quite a few members of LW for all their support of rationality are prone to the bias that is known as :
group-serving bias—explaining away outgroup member’ positive behaviours; also attributing negative behaviours to their dispositions (while excusing such behaviour by one’s own group). (Myers, D. Social Psychology 10th ed. 2010)