Automatisms and Response to Environment

In the Cecil Textbook of Medicine, Jerome Engel, Jr., M.D., describes the physical activity of victims of partial complex seizures as follows:ViOSe 18.4

The complex partial seizure that typifies the temporal lobe or psychomotor attack begins with a motionless stare at the time consciousness is impaired, followed by purposeless movements called automatisms. Alimentary automatisms, such as chewing, swallowing, sucking, and lip smacking are the most common and presumably reflect amygdala involvement. Other examples of automatisms include verbal utterances of sounds or words; gestural movements such as fumbling, posturing, and picking at the clothing; expressions of emotion; and ambulation. On-going activities such as washing dishes or even driving a car may continue automatically. Patients may undress, run, respond to commands, and demonstrate a variety of complicated automatisms despite the ictal state. ^{7Jerome Engel, Jr., Cecil Textbook of Medicine, James B. Wyngaarden and Lloyd H. Cecil, eds. (Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 17th ed. 1985), p. 2152.}

Total unawareness and unresponsiveness to the environment, as was the case of Ellen White while in vision, are not characteristic of partial complex seizure disorder.ViOSe 19.1

Hodder and an associate in an abstract of an oral presentation to the American Academy of Neurology, and Hodder and Couperus in their articles under consideration, claim that Ellen White exhibited “automatisms” while in vision and that these activities bear the “characteristics” of partial complex seizure disorder. ^{8An oral presentation by Delbert H. Hodder and Gregory L. Holmes, entitled “Ellen G. White and the Seventh-day Adventist Church: Visions or Partial Complex Seizures?” an abstract of which appears in Neurology, 1981, vol. 31, pp. 160, 161; Hodder, Evangelica, p. 34; Couperus, p. 22.}ViOSe 19.2

Here is Hodder’s description from his article in Currents:ViOSe 19.3

“These automatisms frequently involve the alimentary tract and include chewing movements, lip smacking, tongue movements, or swallowing movements. The other characteristics of automatism involve the motor system and are called ‘gestural automatisms.’ The most typical of these are wringing of the hands, fumbling with a button or other object, closing the hands, scratching the head, rubbing the nose, or other purposeless and graceful movements.” ^{9Hodder, Evangelica, p. 34.}

The superscript “10” at the end of the foregoing citation refers to an article by David D. Daly, which appeared in Advances in Neurology, entitled “Ictal Clinical Manifestations of Complex Partial Seizures.” By using this superscript, Hodder implies that all the symptoms he lists were derived from Daly’s article. This is misleading to say the least. Daly does not mention “wringing of the hands” or “graceful movements.” ^{10See David D. Daly, “Ictal Clinical Manifestations of Complex Partial Seizures,” Advances in Neurology (New York: Raven Press, 1975), vol. 11, pp. 57-84.} These are gratuitous attributions.ViOSe 20.1

Couperus goes further. Building on Hodder’s list, he states that these are “common symptoms in temporal lobe epilepsy.” ^{11Couperus, p. 22 (emphasis supplied).} The truth of the matter is that they are not common. But this isn’t all. Not only does Daly’s list not include anything that could be interpreted as being “graceful movements,” but even if “wringing of the hands” were a characteristic symptom of partial complex seizures, the records mention only one instance when Ellen White wrung her hands while in vision, and on that occasion her action was appropriate to the content of the vision. ^{12See W. C. White, “A Comprehensive Vision—I: Sketches and Memories of James and Ellen White” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 135 (February 10, 1938), p. 6.}ViOSe 20.2

As previously mentioned, automatisms due to partial complex seizures tend to be repetitive and similar with each attack, and therefore are unlike Ellen White’s activity while in vision.ViOSe 20.3

Lastly, no evidence is offered that Ellen White ever exhibited any of the alimentary automatisms characteristic of partial complex seizures.ViOSe 20.4