What is the controversy about Shirley Ardell Mason, the real person on whom Sybil was based?
After her death, some people came forth claiming that Shirley Mason had not really been multiple and presenting some dubious evidence that supposedly proved her therapist, Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, had talked her into it. From all we can ascertain, these men have heard some badly recorded audio tapes, and have decided that Wilbur was guiding or directing Shirley to be multiple. Actually, Wilbur was informing Shirley about selves she had already witnessed evidence of and interviewed and taped extensively. Shirley was amnesiac for the others, but they had been coming front in the sessions and talking to Dr. Wilbur for a long time before the session which resulted in the so-called “smoking gun” tape.
