Autoenucleation Explained

Autoenucleation, also known as oedipism, is the self-inflicted enucleation (removal) of the eye. It is considered a form of self-mutilation and is normally caused by psychosis, paranoid delusions or drugs.[1] Between 1968 and 2018 there were more than 50 documented cases of "complete or partial self-enucleation in English medical journals".[2] According to a 2012 study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, self-enucleation was previously "considered to be the result of psycho-sexual conflicts" even if psychosis is a more likely cause.[3]

History

A famous case of autoenucleation can be found in Greek mythology: Oedipus, according to Sophocles's tragedy Oedipus Rex, gouged his own eyes out after discovering he had married his mother.

In the 13th century, Marco Polo witnessed a pious Baghdad carpenter who enucleated his right eye for sinful thoughts of a young female customer.

In the 19th century, Jews in the Pale of Settlement in eastern Europe sometimes resorted to self-mutilation, including blinding themselves in one eye, to avoid the Russian empire's onerous regime of military conscription.[4]

On April 1, 2004, Andre Thomas removed his right eye with his bare hands whilst he was in jail awaiting trial for fatally stabbing his estranged wife and her two children.[5] Thomas was later diagnosed with schizophrenia.[6] On December 9, 2008, whilst on death row after being convicted of capital murder, Thomas removed his left eye and ate it.[7] Thomas said he ingested his eye to prevent the federal government of the United States from reading his thoughts.[8]

On February 6, 2018, a 20-year old American, Kaylee Muthart, received national attention after she gouged both her eyes out while high on methamphetamine, believing that "sacrificing her eyes [would] save the world".[9] The incident left Muthart permanently blind, though she later said "I'm happier now than I was before all this happened".[10] [11] [12]

In March 2019, Tanya Suárez removed her own eyes in a San Diego, California, county jail while under the influence of methamphetamine. She sued San Diego county, alleging that a sheriff's deputy watched her from outside her cell door but did nothing; video footage to that effect has reportedly been seen in court, but not released to the public.[13] In October 2022, she settled with the county for $4.35m.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Self-enucleation and psychosis.. The British Journal of Ophthalmology. 74. 9. 571–573. NP Jones. 1990-09-01. 1042215. 2393650. 10.1136/bjo.74.9.571.
  2. Large . Matthew Michael . Nielssen . Olav B. . 28 February 2012 . Self-enucleation: forget Freud and Oedipus, it's all about untreated psychosis . British Journal of Ophthamology . 96 . 9 . 1056–57 . 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2012-301531 . 22373824 . BMJ Journals.
  3. Self-enucleation: forget Freud and Oedipus, it's all about untreated psychosis. Matthew Michael Large, Olav B Nielssen. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 96. 8. 1056–1057. 24 July 2012. 2018-03-15. 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2012-301531. 22373824. 20826549. 2018-03-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20180316024939/http://bjo.bmj.com/content/96/8/1056. live. subscription.
  4. Web site: Taylor . Sharon . Dodging the Draft in the Old Country . The Librarians . 7 September 2020 . National Library of Israel . 9 November 2021 . 9 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211109172611/https://blog.nli.org.il/en/lbh-dodging-the-draft/ . live .
  5. Web site: Grissom . Brandi . 2013-02-24 . Andre Thomas: Gaps in the Mental Health Code . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210804104723/https://www.texastribune.org/2013/02/24/andre-thomas-gaps-30-year-old-mental-health-code/ . 2021-08-04 . 2024-07-19 . The Texas Tribune . en.
  6. Web site: Grissom . Brandi . 2013-02-26 . Andre Thomas: Questions of Competence, Justice . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210805023725/https://www.texastribune.org/2013/02/26/andre-thomas-questions-competency/ . 2021-08-05 . 2024-07-19 . The Texas Tribune . en.
  7. Web site: Quatrino . Nina . 2020-02-08 . Sherman man on death row wants new trial . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210804084921/https://www.kxii.com/content/news/Sherman-man-on-death-row-wants-new-trial-567697091.html . 2021-08-04 . 2024-07-19 . KXII . en.
  8. Web site: Associated Press . 2023-02-19 . Death row inmate Andre Thomas who cut out eyes, ate one seeks clemency . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240719143823/https://nypost.com/2023/02/18/death-row-inmate-andre-thomas-who-cut-out-eyes-ate-one-seeks-clemency/ . 2024-07-19 . 2024-07-19 . New York Post . en-US.
  9. Web site: Kee, Caroline . 2018-03-14 . A 20-Year-Old Gouged Out Her Own Eyes While In A Drug-Induced Psychosis . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180314224158/https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolinekee/why-people-gouge-out-eyes-psychosis-drugs . 2018-03-14 . 2018-03-15 . BuzzFeed.
  10. Web site: Kaylee Muthart Talks About Gouging Out Her Own Eyes On Crystal Meth. Narins, Elizabeth. Cosmopolitan. 2018-03-09. 2018-03-16. 2018-03-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20180315225253/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/a19179723/kaylee-muthart-eye-gouge-crystal-meth/. live.
  11. Web site: Mom of woman who gouged eyes out tells "People" she was going to have her committed. Feit, Noah. thestate. 2018-02-22. 2018-03-15. 2018-03-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20180316023713/http://www.thestate.com/news/state/article201676979.html. live.
  12. Web site: "The world just got darker," SC woman who gouged out her eyes talks about ordeal. Feit, Noah. thestate. 2018-03-18. 2018-03-15. 2018-03-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20180314204015/http://www.thestate.com/news/state/article204806574.html. live.
  13. News: Davis . Kelly . Lawsuit: Jail video shows deputy watched as inmate blinded herself . 7 November 2021 . San Diego Union Tribune . 12 September 2021 . 7 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211107205548/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/story/2021-09-12/eye-gouge-case . live .
  14. News: Davis . Kelly . San Diego County will pay $4.35 million to woman who blinded herself in jail . 19 October 2022 . 1 November 2022.

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