The Three Christs of Ypsilanti - Milton Rokeach [82]
The details of Joseph’s change of behavior—especially with respect to his church-going—are interesting in their own right. I asked him if he would be willing to write me a report about his attendance at church, in the hope that it would tell us something about his motivations. He complied noncommittally, as follows:
CHURCH
What is that building standing on the corner?
Why, it is the church of Ypsilanti State Hospital.
What is it standing there for?
Why, it is for the patients of this our hospital!
Moralism has played such a great part in our life that
we are at a loss, to pay its debt.
What is better than to attend a church service?
To attend such a service yes, is to serve God, for God,
I am sure, does nothing wrong!
God or Joseph Cassel
Ward D-16
I later asked him directly why he went to church. “To be at one with others who attend,” he replied. “It makes me feel better. My mentality is funny. It’s heavier than we think.”
His second written report was somewhat more detailed:
March 10, 1960
Dr. Rokeage was kindly enough to ask of me to submit a report on why do people attend Church.
I think that people attend a service in the church because it is better for themselves. I have been attending the service (I am God, and I am the submitter and instigator of this paper) for the last 3 Sundays; I now feel the better effect. Before, I attended the church (I am a patient in Ypsilanti State Hospital, and the reason I was not attending Church was because I was unable to attend before 3 Sundays ago), I did not feel any too good, now I feel better. It is the miraculous power (along with the contributions of the doctor and psychology, and hospital) that counts in Christianity. I know that I feel better for my having attending the church service; others feel likewise; and think, only 3 Sundays, and I feel the effect-better effect-already. So imagine the better effect for those who have attended other church services regularly! Contributed and submitted by Joseph Cassel or God of D-16.
Ten days later Joseph wrote a similar report on “The Benefit of a Movie to the Patient”:
The patient likes to see a movie, because he is visualizing that he sees an entity that he liked to see outside!
It is an atmosphere of wellness that makes a patient well. This atmosphere is found in the dance, in the store-party, in the walking party, in the goodly effect of a ground parole, in the patient’s receiving visitors, in the effect of good medicine, in the treatment, the goodly treatment received by the patient from the nurses and the attendants, from the supervisor-attendant, and (sight-unseen), from those who worked in the strong-hold, especially the doctors of psychology and from psychology. But psychology plays a great part in the betterment of a patient, this being a mental hospital.
Like the radio, the movie is more than simple entertainment; it is instructive, also! Once, a patient becomes sickly, the memory is generally affected. Thus, the movie, like the radio, like a good book, like a good museum, a good circus, a good play, listening to a good speech, like purchasing things that you like, etceteraes, refresh your memory on what the world outside is; in other words; the reconstruction takes place of what you had-a laugh-Hell’s fire, let the doctors release us from this our hospital and we will be well.
The nervous-system, at rest, means much, so is freedom of cause-continuation of the laugh—Of Course, good food is also good medicine for the treatment of a patient; but, as my subject is the The Benefit of a Movie to the Patient. I do and ought and must adhere to my subject. Which I do!
Once the wellness is realized by the patient that he is recalled of his wellness, when he sees a movie, he reconstructs himself,