{Circle of Epilepsy [continued]}[25th August 1990]

[Redbook7:240][19900825:1212d]{Circle of Epilepsy [continued]}[25th August 1990]

.1212

[continued]

Since Dostoyevsky wrote ‘The Idiot’ (which I tend to think might be more appropriately translated as ‘The Fool’)* after fleeing from Russia to Germany, Switzerland and Italy, it is most likely that this** is an authentic account of his epilepsy, probably as authentic as his account of the ‘feeling of terrible guilt’ afterwards, and sense of harmony which he experienced immediately before each attack.***

The experiences may be summarised:****

I[nner] C[ircle] C	/	(1)	Immediately before each attack:	Blissful happiness & sense of harmony.***
O[uter] C[ircle] C?	{	(2)	During each attack:	Violent pain (&, presumably, loss of consciousness).
	\	(3)	Immediately after each attack:	? #
G~ (& see (6) below?) J~-G~-R~-C	/	(4)	During a period of frequent attacks:	Complete stupor, loss of memory, breaking-up of logical sequence of thoughts and of ability to follow sequence of events.
C	{	(5)	Shortly after a period of frequent attacks:	Looked about in silence & never asked any questions; strong impressions.
r~? #*	\	(6)	Recovering from a period of frequent attacks:	Terribly sad, felt like crying, constant wonder & anxiety, depression, foreign[-]ness of all around.
[This \ hatched,→ indicating uncertainty?]	\	(7)	Recovered state:	(i) Sudden recovery from depression, pleased, everything in head cleared up. (ii) Became well & strong again.#**

*{not necessarily more accurately}

**[See last previous entry]

***Letter to Nikolai Strakhov, quoted by David Magarshack, translator's Introduction to ‘The Idiot’ (Penguin Classics), and extracted at III. [[Redbook3:181][19870413:1450](FITS)[13th April 1987],] 181

[&/or s~? See next entry but one]

****[From last previous entry unless otherwise stated in fns]

#[‘A feeling of terrible guilt’? See letter extract referred to in fn=*** above]

#*This may describe the period of attacks under (4) above.

[&/or R~? See next entry but one]

#**[Or is this during the recovery period (6) or even the period shortly after the attacks (5)? See fn=** above.]

[continued]

[PostedBlogger01112021]