YatharthA True Enigma
There were a lot of similarities in the first two encounters Hannah had with the dissociative fugue. It was not only in the signs of warning or the patterns that followed at the time of her disappearance, but it was also quite evident in the ways she had found her identity back. Amy Scott, one of Hannah’s close friend, told the The New York Times: “The way [Hannah] describes it is she finds herself in a body of water and realizes who she is.” Moreover, Hannah’s friends were aware of her past experiences with the fugue, so they immediately rushed towards the water body to look for Hannah.
Revelation
Studies conducted on dissociative fugue suggest that the disorder is the fallout of an individual’s past trauma. However, Hannah’s parents had a different say as nothing as drastic or dreadful had happened to Hannah in the past, the only exception was her parent’s divorce but the family stated that the incident didn’t affect her as much. They further added that it could possibly be the stress she had to endure in working with needy students or her strong beliefs and views on religion that influenced her. Surprisingly, there’s another person in her family who has admitted to experience a similar episode.
Psychological Mind Games
A mother would never give up on her child no matter how bad the circumstances get. Barbara wanted to know what thoughts were going on in Hannah’s mind as she once experienced a similar episode after her divorce. Barbara’s quest to understand her daughter’s state of mind led her to Richard Loewenstein’s door, a specialist in fugues. Richard had a firm belief that dissociative fugues are somehow planned and are driven by an inner logic.
A Lot In Common
So, was it Hannah’s subconscious that drove her to such extent as Richard had claimed or the stress that took a toll on her? The questions remain unanswered but there were roots to this fugue that might help understand the emotional state Hannah was in. Just a day after filing the divorce, Hannah’s mother Barbara went to a strange mental state while driving to the United Methodist church, minutes after, she ended up at a place that had a lot in common with Hannah’s story.
Still Missing
Like daughter, like mother, Barbara too went to a water body during her experience with the fugue state. As she recalled her experience, she remembered driving to the Willamette River in Oregon and parking just next to the place where she spent hours, sitting idle, absolutely losing the concept of time. She went to an empty state of mind, drove back home after spending hours next to the river, she only realized what her identity was when she saw her children’s faces. Unfortunately, Hannah Upp is still missing, but her loved ones daily wake up with a hope, that this very day, Hannah might turn up and light up their lives with her smile. “She lights up the room. Everyone you talk to is going to say she is their closest friend. She has no barriers. She was raised to trust and care for everyone,” a friend described of Hannah.