by Brown Robert
• “A Case of Lycanthropy” case study of Rostenstock and Vincent
• Several clinical lycanthropy case studies from the country of Iran
• A discussion of Sigmund Freud’s Wolf Man case study
• The werewolf as an archetype of death/rebirth in Jungian psychology
Understanding what werewolves mean to the human mind is an important part of any study on lycanthropy. An examination into the significance of werewolves when it comes to the human psyche may offer answers to a number of questions. For example, why do some people fear the concept of lycanthropy while others seek to embrace it? Can psychological transformations be just as real as those of physical lycanthropy? Why do some cultures view wolves as hostile to the human way of life, while others seek to live in harmony with these wild ancestors of man’s best friend? Why do some view lycanthropy as a curse while others view it as a gift?
The answers may be found by taking a closer look at how human beings have evolved in their understandings of the werewolf phenomenon. These answers often lead to new questions. Perhaps the simplest answer to the enigma of clinical lycanthropy is that, one might dare to say, some people just go a little bit crazy … or a lot crazy.
The Truth about Clinical Lycanthropy
The most popular explanation for werewolves is a condition of mental illness now referred to by the psychiatric community as clinical lycanthropy . (Sometimes it is also called psychological lycanthropy.) Clinical lycanthropy is commonly defined as a mental disorder identified by a strong belief in the delusion that the afflicted individual can, is, or has at some time transformed into a wolf or werewolf. Though the condition is named after lycanthropy, it is in no way considered to be of supernatural origin.
The Savage Truth
One of the oldest cases of clinical lycanthropy may come from the Bible. Written in the Book of Daniel is an account of how King Nebuchadnezzar suffered from a bout of serious depression. Nebuchadnezzar’s condition grew steadily worse. Eventually, the king went stark raving mad and, for a period of seven years, roamed the wild under the delusion that he had become a wolf.
Clinical lycanthropy is a wolf-specific form of a broader category of mental disorders referred to as zoanthropy. Zoanthropy is an umbrella term for states of mental delusion in which the afflicted individual harbors the belief that he or she can assume the form of an animal. In some cases, the person may even believe that he or she is an animal (and will behave accordingly).
In recent years, cases of zoanthropy and clinical lycanthropy have come to be viewed as secondary manifestations of some other underlying mental illness or neurological defect. For example, nearly all of the known recorded cases of clinical lycanthropy were discovered to be caused by long-term psychedelic drug use, an onset of schizophrenia, some other previously unidentified brain defect, or bouts of extreme mental distress (such as clinical depression). These delusions of lycanthropy are viewed as a specific manifestation of a patient’s lunacy.
Beastly Words
Zoanthropy is a term used in psychology for states of mental delusion in which the afflicted individual harbors the belief that he or she can assume the form of an animal.
Schizophrenia is a mental illness commonly thought to be caused by neurological damage or defect and characterized by hallucinations, paranoid delusions, physical restlessness, and hearing voices.
Lunacy is defined as insanity, extreme foolishness, or a display of foolish behavior. It literally means something like “in the state of the moon” and actually originates from the Latin luna, or “moon.” In ancient times, bouts of insanity were thought to be influenced by the lunar cycle. Despite the insistence of science to the contrary, many people still believe that the full moon influences humans to behave strangely.
Cases of clinical lycanthropy have been more widely identified and documented over the last century, with occurrences as recent as 2006. Sometimes cases of clinical lycanthropy involve unusual, but still relatively harmless, behaviors such as howling, growling, walking on all fours, or running around naked. Sometimes the person may engage in another common (yet rather creepy) behavior of persons suffering from clinical lycanthropy—sleeping in (or running naked through) graveyards. Clinical lycanthropy is considered to be a symptomatic condition, not a diagnostic one, since cases exhibit similar symptoms but with differing causes. The most common symptoms of clinical lycanthropy are as follows:
• Extreme anxiety
• An obsessive urge to frequent and/or sleep in graveyards
• Socially inappropriate displays of nudity (usually under the delusion that he or she has transformed)
• An obsessive urge to roam in woods
• Bestial sexual compulsions and/or exhibitions of sounds or postures that mimic animal sexual behaviors
• Belief/fear in the patient that he or she is demon possessed or in some way controlled by the devil
• A preoccupation with eyes and/or a belief that he or she has been cursed/haunted by an “evil eye”
Unfortunately, some extreme cases of clinical lycanthropy have violent manifestations, leading the delusional person to engage in any number of horrifying acts such as rape, cannibalism, and murder. Had the truth about clinical lycanthropy been understood in times past, it would likely have been applied to many of the disturbed individuals discussed in Chapter 6.
Two Clinical Werewolves … Revisited
Dr. Frida Surawicz and Dr. Richard Banta are well known for their 1975 analysis of two similar case studies involving clinical lycanthropy, entitled “Lycanthropy Revisited.” Their findings were first published as an article in the Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal. Since the publication of “Lycanthropy Revisited,” others in the mental health profession have disclosed their own experiences with cases of clinical lycanthropy.
The male subjects of both case studies published by Surawicz and Banta were kept strictly anonymous in the printed article, and both have since been identified only by the pseudonyms Mr. H and Mr. W. Though both subjects were shown to have suffered from clinical lycanthropy, the causes, manifestations, and end results of their conditions differed in certain unique ways.
The Vices of Mr. H
The first case study presented by Surawicz and Banta is that of Mr. H, a 20-year-old male with a long history of heavy drug abuse. Mr. H was admitted for psychiatric treatment when he professed the belief that he was a werewolf. Mr. H had formerly served in the Army, and even during that time he was a heavy drug user. According to Mr. H’s testimony, while stationed at a military installation in Europe, he took a hiking trip into a nearby forest. While there, he dropped multiple hits of LSD and strychnine.
Beastly Words
LSD, commonly referred to as “acid,” stands for lysergic acid diethylamide. LSD is an extremely potent psychedelic drug that affects both the mood and perception of the user, causing hallucinations, disorientation, mood swings, paranoia, and other delusions.
Strychnine is considered a fatal poison, but it is sometimes used as a heavy stimulant when taken in small doses.
The drugs didn’t take long to do their thing, and according to Mr. H, he watched in horror as fur/hair began to grow rapidly all over his body and face (a hallucination caused by LSD). He then claimed to have been overwhelmed by animal compulsions and immediately began to chase, capture, and devour wild rabbits. It is unclear whether or not Mr. H actually did eat raw wild rabbits or if this was just another LSD- fueled hallucination. Mr. H remained in the woods in a drug-induced state of frenzy for a number of days before finally returning to his duty station. For some time after this experience, it would appear that Mr. H lived under the delusion that he was a werewolf.
Under professional psychiatric care, Mr. H was first gradually broken of his serious drug addiction. (The rehab methods suggest he was so physically dependent on drugs that going “cold turkey” might have killed him.) Mr. H’s drug rehabilitation took a period of about nine months for him to achieve a relative sta
te of sobriety. In drug rehab, Mr. H still expressed his belief that he was a werewolf. During this time, Mr. H frequently complained that he was hearing voices. He also reported seeing horrifying visions (which were usually satanic or demonic in theme). In addition to being a werewolf, Mr. H vehemently claimed that he was demon possessed and told doctors he had been endowed with a number of supernatural powers. (Apparently, however, he was unable to successfully demonstrate any of them for doctors or staff.)
At first it was thought that Mr. H suffered from some form of schizophrenia or even toxic psychosis (a mental condition resulting from extreme or long-term drug abuse). All of his tests were supportive of these hypotheses. Mr. H was prescribed a psychopharmacological treatment of antipsychotic drugs. The drugs brought him (relatively) back to his wits, which is rather ironic when one considers the fact that it was the use of drugs that put him in this sad condition to begin with.
After showing significant improvement while taking antipsychotics for a period of time, Mr. H was finally referred to an outpatient program. His first outpatient visit seems to have been unremarkable. By Mr. H’s second outpatient visit, however, it became obvious that he had stopped taking his meds. Mr. H never showed up for his third visit, and all attempts to contact or locate him were unsuccessful. His current condition and whereabouts are unknown (though it would be a safe bet to say that any search for him should probably start in the local woods).
The Ailing Brain of Mr. W
The second clinical lycanthropy case study of Surawicz and Banta is that of Mr. W, a 37-year-old male patient who had been admitted for psychiatric treatment after multiple public incidents in which he had exhibited highly unusual behaviors. For example, Mr. W is reported to have not cut or cleaned his hair or beard (meaning he was covered almost head-to-toe in hair) in quite some time and had been seen sleeping in graveyards, howling at the moon, and lying down in the middle of a highway (even as cars were speeding past him).
What sets Mr. W apart from his counterpart, Mr. H, is that he had no known history of drug abuse (or even mild drug use). Mr. W had been in the Navy, and an IQ test from his military records showed that, during his service at least, he was found to be of “average intelligence.” After his time in the Navy, Mr. W had briefly worked as a farmer. Little else is reported in the study regarding the specific events of Mr. W’s life during the time between his military service and his psychiatric treatment.
Mr. W may have been of average intelligence during his naval service. However, new tests found that he was now far below the average intelligence for his age. Mr. W’s mental maturity was found to be equal to that of a child of no more than 10 years of age. Under care, Mr. W’s state of dementia only worsened with each passing day. It was concluded that a brain biopsy would be required to determine whether the cause was neurological or psychological.
Beastly Words
Dementia is a state of delusional madness usually marked by extreme disorientation, bouts of irritability, and an erratic/infirm grasp of one’s current time and/or location. Clinical lycanthropy is considered a specified manifestation of dementia.
During his neural biopsy, it was found that Mr. W’s brain tissue was in a state of heavy deterioration, a condition commonly referred to as “walnut brain.” His condition was declared the result of neurological deterioration, and he was diagnosed with an unspecified but chronic syndrome of the brain. The causes of Mr. W’s condition were never found. Like Mr. H, Mr. W was prescribed a treatment of antipsychotic drugs. Mr. W, once under treatment, ceased to exhibit the symptoms of clinical lycanthropy. He was soon after referred to an outpatient program. Though his behavior was no longer as disturbing as previously, during each outpatient visit Mr. W exhibited increasingly shy and childlike behavior, often mumbling and almost never making eye contact with others.
The Case of Mrs. L’s Lycanthropy
Dr. Harvey Rostenstock and colleague Kenneth Vincent published their collaborative article, “A Case of Lycanthropy,” in The American Journal of Psychiatry in October of 1977. This article followed Surawicz’s and Banta’s case studies by only two years and offered an entirely unprecedented manifestation of clinical lycanthropy. Rostenstock’s and Vincent’s subject was a female with no history of drug or alcohol abuse who also displayed no evidence of any neurological defects or other brain disorders.
The 49-year-old patient, whom will be referred to in this section only by the name “Mrs. L” (she was not given any such pseudonym in the official case study), was first admitted for psychiatric evaluation when she professed the belief that she was a wolf and frequently felt like a beast with claws. However, this would be only the beginning of Mrs. L’s unusual behavior.
Of course, it might be far more likely that she was admitted due to the fact that, only a week before, she had torn off all of her clothes while at a family gathering. Then in front of God and everyone, Mrs. L had gotten down on all fours and presented herself (in the sexual sense) to her own mother, basically assuming the position commonly referred to as “doggy style.” According to the case study, Mrs. L continued with this behavior, ignoring the pleas of her family members, for about 20 minutes.
On the night following this disconcerting incident, just after having sexual intercourse with her husband, Mrs. L began to growl, scratch, and bite at the bed. At first this might have even seemed normal to her husband (you never know). After she continued this behavior for roughly two hours, however, “Mr. L” must have realized that his wife was no longer quite right in the head.
Upon initial examination, Mrs. L was found to display a high degree of unprovoked anxiety. She also professed to hearing voices and admitted that she had struggled with compulsions of adultery, homosexuality, and bestiality throughout her 20-year marriage. She constantly expressed that she felt as though she could not control herself and the belief that her actions and thoughts were no longer her own.
According to the case study, Mrs. L had long harbored an extreme, and increasingly unhealthy, preoccupation with wolves. She claimed to have always thought about wolves, desired to be around wolves, and constantly dreamt about wolves. Mrs. L, much like Mr. H from the Surawicz and Banta case, often verbalized the belief that she was demon possessed, and she claimed that the devil would take over her body and transform her into a wolf. She also complained of hearing voices (also a similarity found in the 1975 case of Mr. H). However, unlike Mr. H, Mrs. L’s experiences were not the result of drug or alcohol abuse. After this evaluation, it is not surprising that she was immediately committed for inpatient psychiatric treatment.
Mrs. L was prescribed antipsychotic medication, along with daily therapy sessions, as part of her inpatient treatment. During the first three weeks of her treatment, progress was slow. Mrs. L suffered a number of relapses into her wolf obsessions. She would often claim that she assumed the form of a wolf at night and the form of a woman during the daytime. On one occasion, it was recorded that Mrs. L was frightened by the sight of her own reflection. She confessed that it was her own eyes that had terrified her. She claimed that one of her eyes was her own but the other was the eye of a wolf. She also said that her “wolf eye” wanted revenge on her “normal eye.” On several occasions, Mrs. L would explain during therapy sessions how she would look in the mirror and, instead of seeing herself, would see her body in differing states of wolf metamorphosis. During such episodes, the case study explains that Mrs. L would growl, snarl, and howl. These episodes were also frequently followed by overwhelming homosexual and bestial impulses for Mrs. L as well as chronic masturbatory compulsions.
In the fourth week of Mrs. L’s treatment, the antipsychotic drugs seemed to take effect. Mrs. L reported during therapy sessions that the wolf eye was no longer present when she looked in the mirror.
On the night of the full moon, Mrs. L did experience one very brief relapse. She was asked to write down her experience. In one very interesting passage from her writings, which hints of similarities to the case of Mr. W, Mrs. L proc
laimed, “I will haunt the graveyards for a tall, dark man that I intend to find.”
After nine weeks, Mrs. L was finally discharged to outpatient status, continuing her treatment of antipsychotic drugs.
The Case of Mr. A
In 2000, the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry published another clinical lycanthropy case study in an article that was collaboratively written by Drs. J. Arturo Silva, M.D., Dennis Derecho, M.P.H., and Gregory Leong, M.D. In this case, the patient is referred to by the pseudonym “Mr. A.”
According to the case study, at the time of his diagnosis and treatment, Mr. A was 46 years old. He was admitted for care due to a series of hours-long delusional episodes in which he believed that he could feel and see hair growing all over his body or in specific places (usually his face and arms). During some episodes, Mr. A was able to recognize that despite the sensation, what he was experiencing was not real. Other times, however, he was overcome by this delusion to such a degree that he accepted it as reality.
In addition to his delusions regarding hair growth, Mr. A would also experience delusions in which he believed that his face would deform and that lesions were appearing on his skin. He claimed that these disfigurements would happen in seconds and last for several hours.