Did Ellen White Suffer from Dementia?

By Dirk Anderson, Sep., 2024

In June of 1985, Molleurus Couperus, M.D., wrote a ground-breaking article describing the significance of Ellen White's brain injury. Since then, many have wondered if her brain injury contributed to her visions, hyper-moralism, and other inexplicable behavior. One area yet to be explored is whether the brain injury contributed to Ellen White suffering from dementia.

What is Dementia?

Dementia is a general term describing a set of symptoms associated with declining mental abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life. It affects memory, thinking, problem-solving, and other cognitive skills. People with dementia might forget important things, get confused about time or place, struggle with conversations, or have difficulty completing familiar tasks. Dementia is more common in older adults, but it is not a normal part of aging.

Dementia can also cause hallucinations. Hallucinations are sensory experiences that appear real but are created by the mind. They can involve seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling things that are not actually there. Could Ellen White have been a victim of dementia?

Dementia Risk Factors

While it is impossible to diagnose Ellen White at this stage, it is possible to examine the risk factors for dementia to ascertain whether she was at increased risk for dementia. Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells, and it can progress over time. Mrs. White had two major risk factors for dementia:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) - Mrs. White suffered a TBI at age nine. She was struck in the head with a stone that rendered her unconscious for three weeks. TBIs can increase the risk of developing dementia later in life. The risk is particularly high for injuries that involve a loss of consciousness.
Toxic Chemicals - Ellen White was likely exposed to mercury while assisting her father in his hat-making business. Exposure to heavy metals like mercury can contribute to the development of dementia. Mercury exposure can damage the nervous system and lead to cognitive impairments and hallucinations.

Thus, Ellen White's combination of traumatic brain injury and exposure to neurotoxic mercury exacerbated her risk of developing dementia.

Evidence of Dementia?

Aside from hallucinations, is there any other evidence Ellen White may have suffered from dementia?

One primary symptom of dementia is forgetfulness. Like all of us, Mrs. White forgot minor details from time to time. But there are many indications she suffered from an inability to recall important facts, including details from her visions from God. The most noteworthy of those incidents is the 1890 Salamanca Vision, which Ellen White apparently could not recall for a while. Here are some other incidents where she had difficulty remembering things, including her visions:

1851 - Could not remember what someone told her: "You speak of your telling me concerning Brother Hollis. I cannot remember that you told me anything about [it]." (Letter 6, 1851)
1855 - Could not remember her vision: "There were two things in the vision given me at Paris that I could not remember." (Letter 1, 1855)
1872 - Forgot what she wrote yesterday: "I dropped you a line yesterday in such a hurry I cannot remember a line I wrote." (Letter 10, 1872)
1876 - Forgot what she wrote for a church article: "I do not remember what I did write." (Letter 40, 1876)
1880 - Could not remember the titles of works: "When you search my letters send those you think that I would be likely to use. I would specify the titles of works but I cannot remember them." (Letter 45c, 1880)
1887 - Forgot an important doctrinal issue regarding the 1888 message: "I am troubled, for the life of me I cannot remember that which I have been shown in reference to the two laws. I cannot remember what the caution and warning referred to were that were given to Elder Waggoner." (Letter 13, 1887)
1889 - Forgot to send a book: "A sister came to me in Oakland, and said, “Don't you remember that you promised to give me ‘Vol. IV.’ when it was revised and enlarged?” ... I had forgotten my promise." (RH Mar 19, 1889)
1890 - Could not even remember the words of Jesus spoken to her in vision: "I cannot remember the words that were spoken." (Ms 19b, 1890)
1892 - Forgot about a testimony she made about Dr. Gibbs: "I do not remember saying that I had been shown this; but I may have done so." (Letter 8, 1892)
1894 - Forgot whether she sent a testimony: "I cannot remember sending it to you, and therefore do so now." (Letter 40a, 1894)
1894 - Forgot to send a book: "I forgot to send Willie his [dictionary], but will send it next mail." (Letter 123, 1894)
1896 - Could not remember if she wrote to her children: "I cannot remember whether I wrote to you or not" (Letter 162, 1896).
1898 - Could not remember the sermon she planned to speak: "I had a portion of Scripture to speak upon, but I could not remember what I meant to bring before the people." (Ms 153, 1898)
1899 - Could not remember what to write: "I have been so weak that I could not remember." (Letter 7, 1899)
1899 - Could not remember what items were placed in a trunk: "I cannot remember what was put into the trunk, and what was put into that box that went to Denver and then to Boulder. Some things I miss. I had such a terrible headache when the packing was done, I have no recollection where they were put." (Letter 75, 1899)
1899 - Could not recall what she said to Brother Bicknall: "I understand that you have stated I have written to you to hold your position where you are. Will you please send me a copy of this communication, for I cannot remember writing any such words?" (Letter 161, 1899)
1905 - Could not remember old friends: "I have had the privilege of meeting many old friends. They remembered me, but I could not remember all of them." (Letter 147, 1905)
1906 - Could not recall recent events: "I was to speak at the Carr Street church, but I cannot remember the events of that day, and I shall have to pass over the days that we spent at Glendale." (Letter 137, 1906)
1906 - Forgot meetings: "I did intend to meet with the church in Berkeley before leaving Oakland, but I had forgotten the Washington meeting in D. C." (Ms 127, 1906)
1907 - Forgot events from the past: "Brother Olmstead is an old resident of Michigan, and we talked over some experiences that we passed through when my husband was in active service. He remembered many incidents that I have forgotten." (Letter 176, 1907)
1908 - Forgot about writing a ten-page testimony: "I was surprised to find ten pages that I had written while at your house in Oakland, after my visit to Buena Vista. I had forgotten that I had written this." (Letter 266, 1908)

It is surprising that Mrs. White would make so many mentions of forgetfulness in her letters and manuscripts when she told others that it was a sin to be forgetful:

It is a sin to forget, a sin to be negligent.¹
Forgetfulness is sin. Many feel that no blame should be attached to forgetfulness. There is a great mistake here; and this leads to many blunders, and much disorder, and many wrongs.²

The Young Man

Victims of dementia can sometimes believe they have an imaginary friend or spirit guide. They may see or hear someone who is not actually there. Such experiences can be vivid and seem very real to them. For example, an elderly lady might believe that she has a special relationship with an imaginary figure, such as a young man or a spirit guide.

As early as 1849, a noble "young man" began appearing to Mrs. White in dreams to instruct her.³ While at first he only appeared "frequently" in her dreams, as she aged it appears he began appearing in person.⁴ In 1877 she wrote: "the young man who has often appeared to me and instructed me came in the room where I was."⁵

Was this a real angel? Or an imaginary friend triggered by her dementia? Since the angel lied to her about the return of Christ during the lifetime of the attendees of an 1856 conference, it is highly unlikely this was an angel of God. Therefore, it was more likely a hallucination produced by her own mind. She used the phrase “said the angel” 688 times in her published writings, so one must wonder how much of her instruction came from her own imagination.

Increasing Confusion

Another primary symptom of dementia is mental confusion. Many readers have noticed the wide array of confusing statements and contradictory statements in Ellen White's writings. Many have also observed that her behavior was sometimes contrary to her own testimonies:

Told others it was wrong to eat meat while she privately ate meat
Told others it was wrong to wear jewelry while she privately wore it
Told others it was wrong to drink alcohol while she secretly drank it
Told others it was wrong to use drug medicines while she had her own stash of them
Told others it was wrong to read novels while she read novels and had them in her personal library
Told others photography was idolatry while she spent enormous sums of money on photography
Told others to send their tithe only to the SDA Church while she accepted tithe on the side
Told others it was wrong to be depressed while she was depressed most of her life
Told others not to wear fancy hats and expensive clothing while she wore them
Told others not to drink hot drinks while she drank them
Told others it was wrong to be forgetful when she was forgetful

If Ellen White had dementia, it may provide an explanation for this. While it is difficult to assess her level of confusion from her writings, Mrs. White seemed to express increasing levels of confusion during the 1900s.

1905 - To Edson: "I am at a loss to know what it all means. I do not remember all that I said to Brother Bollman in my interview with him at Los Angeles, but I am sure that I did not mean to deny having had any conversation with you in reference to selling the Morning Star." (Letter 293, 1905)
1908 - To Edson: "I have been riding out with Willie, and he read to me your letter of September 23. I was much surprised, I could hardly understand it. What you have written to me regarding your reconversion and rebaptism had entirely passed from my mind. Today Willie told me all about it and says that I read the letter when it came; but I do not remember it." (Letter 302, 1908)
1909 - To Edson and Emma: "I am in confusion of mind as to what is my duty. I see a great work to be done, yet I feel unable to represent this in a way that it will be comprehended by the people. My mind is clear and active, but my head troubles me. I am in perplexity. It may be that if I remove to a more healthful climate these difficulties will disappear." (Letter 98, 1909)

When asked to fill out a biographical survey in 1909, Mrs. White seems to struggle remembering events. When asked about her date of conversion, she writes with uncertainty: "Probably in March, 1840." To the general condition of her health, she wrote: "Uncertain, often feeble." When asked who married her and James, she wrote, "by whom is unknown now." When asked for details of her ordination (when, where, by whom), she replied by putting an "X" on the line.⁶

Confusion Over Her Role

In the midst of a period when Mrs. White was under attack at Battle Creek from several directions, she was scheduled to speak at the Tabernacle. Arthur White relates what happened next:

On Sunday, October 2, [1904] Ellen White addressed an audience of 2,500, including many Battle Creek citizens. She took this occasion to talk about herself and her work, and she spoke without notes. Reminding them that they had heard her speak many times, she declared that she bore exactly the same message now as she always had—the same message she had written in her books. 'The truth that we proclaim today,' she said, 'is the same truth that we proclaimed for the last fifty years.'—Manuscript 140, 1905. Then she startled her hearers by saying: 'I am not, as I said yesterday, a prophet.' ...
Monday, the newspapers at Battle Creek heralded the news: The woman the Adventists had believed in all these years as a prophet had now come straight out and said she was not a prophet after all! This naturally brought questions from Adventists as well. Ellen White and church leaders found that an explanation must be made.⁷

When Mrs. White talked without notes, she seemed to become confused about her role in the sect. Both those within and without the sect were stunned that she said she was not a prophet. No one expected it. Was the SDA Church the remnant church of Revelation if they did not have a prophet? Her opponents made the most of it. The brethren had to address the confusion created by her statement, so they had Mrs. White write an explanation. A few months later, she published an article in the Review in which she said "I said that I did not claim to be a prophetess," and that her work was that of a "messenger."⁸ While that was true, it did not deny the fact that she pointedly said "I am not...a prophet." It appeared she was trying to back-peddle from her statement and many were not convinced. A week later she explained to her friend O.A. Olsen that, "My work includes much more than this name [prophetess] signifies."⁹ She went on to affirm that she was a "messenger."

For the next year, confusion continued to reign in Battle Creek over her controversial statement. In July of 1906, she wrote to the elders of the Battle Creek Church stating, "My commission embraces the work of a prophet, but it does not end there."¹⁰ Thus, by 1906 she was back to being a prophet, but apparently the word prophet was too limited to describe her role. Finally, in 1907, she claimed an even bigger role than prophet: "My work includes much more than the word 'prophet' signifies."¹¹ This statement seems to have quelled the confusion around her prophethood, but it probably left people wondering if Mrs. White knew who she was. After all, she had gone from "not...a prophet" to not claiming to be a prophet, to being a prophet plus more, to finally being much more than a prophet. That is quite an evolution!

Real or Fake Books?

When W.C. White wrote a letter to S.N. Haskell describing his mother's diminished mental capacity during her last years, Haskell responded:

If I believed even what you have told me about having to tell your mother the same thing over three or four times in order that she might get a clear idea of things, so that she could give a correct testimony on some points, it would weaken my faith mightily; not in your mother, but in what comes from her pen.¹²

Were the writings coming from Ellen White's pen in her last years actually her writings? Ellen White turned 80 in 1907. One must wonder about the authenticity of the articles and books published under her name after 1907. Here are the books:

1909 - Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9
1911 - Great Controversy
1915 - Gospel Workers
1915 - Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
1917 - Prophets and Kings

Conclusion

While we may never be able to accurately assess whether Mrs. White had dementia, she certainly manifested some of the symptoms commonly found in dementia victims, such as forgetfulness, mental confusion, and hallucinations. There is also no doubt that she experienced at least two major risk factors for developing dementia (TBI and heavy metal exposure). Given this, it is possible she experienced dementia. If so, one can only wonder how it affected the quality and content of her writings.

Citations

1. Ellen White, Christ Object Lessons, (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1900), 358.

2. Ellen White, Selections from the Testimonies Setting Forth Important Principles... (1898), 150.

3. Ellen White, Review and Herald, Nov. 4, 1875. "I dreamed that a young man of noble appearance came into the room where I was, immediately after I had been speaking. This same person has appeared before me in important dreams to instruct me from time to time during the past twenty-six years."

4. Ellen White, Manuscript 1B, 1874.

5. Ellen White, Letter 47, 1877.

6. "Records Pertaining to Ellen G. White's Ministerial/Ordination Credentials," Ellen G. White Estate. Mrs. White was first ordained as an SDA minister in 1871. Over the subsequent decades, she received at least seven other certificates of ordination. Her last certificate was issued in June, 1909. Aside from her 1871 ordination (Review and Herald, Feb. 14, 1871), the other ordination certificates were issued on October 1, 1883, from the Michigan Conference; September 27, 1885, from the Michigan Conference; December 6, 1885, from the General Conference; December 27, 1887, from the General Conference; March 7, 1899, from the General Conference; June 14, 1909, from the General Conference; June 12, 1913, from the General Conference. The White Estate claims that Ellen White's secretary, Mary Steward, filled out the survey. Extracted from https://whiteestate.org/legacy/issues-egw_credentials-egw_credentials-htm/ on Aug. 13, 2024.

7. Arthur White, Ellen G. White: The Early Elmshaven Years: 1900-1905, vol. 5, 354-355.

8. Ellen White, Review and Herald, Jan. 26, 1905.

9. Ellen White, Letter 55, 1905. January 30, 1905, to O.A. Olsen.

10. Ellen White, Letter 244, 1906.

11. Ellen White, Review and Herald, July 26, 1907.

12. S. N. Haskell to W. C. White, November 27, 1910.