Joel Osler Brende

When Dr. Joel Brende first met James, he immediately discovered that James suffered from memory loss and gaps of awareness, and that two or more parts of his brain seemed to operate independently. It became apparent that James’s mind had split off traumatic memories of emotional and physical pain via the psychological defense mechanism of dissociation, which created split identities. During his early psychotherapy sessions, Dr. Brende met five distinct personalities: James-the original personality; Jay-the predominant and protective personality who took over the body when James suffered a psychological trauma at age seven; Jim and Jimmy-two child personalities; and Shea-a homosexual personality. During psychotherapy, as portrayed in The James Tapes: Book One, there were significant personality changes that led to James’s rebirth experience as that book came to a close. This process is detailed by Dr. Joel Brende from video recordings of psychotherapy sessions with James made over a number of years, something no other mental health professional has ever accomplished.

In the follow-up, The James Tapes: Integrating Fragmented Personalities, the book describes a continuing course of psychotherapy that begins with James’s reborn self as he struggles to become a human being and depend on his therapist. Several new personalities will be revealed, including J, a reborn ＂new self,＂ an imposter JAY, Jack, the father, and a mystical personality who later becomes predominant. Jay returns in a more mature way to help James leave the hospital. Finally, Shea returns as a female to raise her son Jimmy, and Jack takes on the responsibility of raising his son Jim.