How Did the Trauma of Dostoevsky’s Mock Execution and Siberian Labour Camp Experience Affect His Psyche, Theopolitics, and Attitude Toward the Peasant Class?

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1.1 Introduction to Dostoevsky and His Two Profound Traumas 

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Fyodor Dostoevsky, born in 1821 in Moscow, was a noble-class Russian novelist who began writing in the 1840s. Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of all time, he authored world-renowned novels such as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov (Wikipedia, 2024). Less widely known is the profound trauma that marked his life, leaving a lasting imprint on both his psyche and worldview. Two pivotal events - his mock execution in 1849 and his subsequent imprisonment in a Siberian labour camp from 1850 to 1854 - profoundly influenced his theopolitical beliefs (defined as “relating to religion and politics”) (Wiktionary, 2022), as well as his attitude toward the peasant class. From these traumas emerged the rich psychological landscapes found in his most compelling characters.

 

Schlaudraff (2014) and Weil (2006) provide essential insight into Russian society during the 1840s: 90% of the population were serfs - peasants enslaved and bound to their superior’s land under an autocratic monarchy, led by Tsar Nicholas I. Reliance on forced labour and agriculture was significant, keeping peasants in poverty while the elite thrived. Frank (1990) explains how Dostoevsky’s arrest was catalysed by his involvement in the Petrashevsky Circle, a group that discussed Western philosophy, socialism, and reform. Accused of subversion, their members were sentenced to death. On 22 December 1849, Dostoevsky and others were brought to Semonovsky square before a “firing squad” and their open graves (Weil, 2006, Lecture 11, 8:23). However, seconds before execution, their sentences were commuted to forced labour under the brutal Katorga system - a penal labour system created as a form of punishment and abolished in the 1860s (Gentes, 2002). This near-death experience left a deep psychological imprint, and over the next four years in Omsk prison, Dostoevsky lived among peasant convicts undergoing a profound internal transformation (Frank, 1990). By drawing on modern psychological theories and recounts of the time, we can analyse the mental processes and subsequent evolution of both his theopolitical doctrine and outlook on the peasant class.

1.2 Theopolitics, Attitude Toward the Peasantry and Trauma 

Before imprisonment, Dostoevsky adhered to a form of utopian socialism deeply intertwined with Christian belief (Dostoevsky and Ginsburg, 1974). Influenced by the Russian Orthodox faith of his childhood and those of the Petrashevsky circle (Schlaudraff, 2014), he envisioned an idealised society where people would cooperate rather than compete (Weil, Lecture 11). Overall, this is evidence of an idealist socialism interwoven with Christian belief - a theopolitical doctrine which would be profoundly challenged and transformed in Siberia. 

Dostoevsky’s attitude toward the peasant class was similarly shaped by romanticised ideals. Through visits to his father’s estate, he came into early contact with serfs, whom he regarded with benevolence - albeit perhaps a condescending kind. As Schlaudraff (2014, p. 24) explains, he viewed them in a “purely romantic light [...] advocating for their advancement on a purely academic level”, seeing them as noble and moral in a manner consistent with French and Russian idealist thought. Expecting to find suffering yet virtuous souls among the convicts, he was disillusioned by the harsh realities of prison life and his idealism was shattered (Frank, 1990). Nevertheless, by the end of his sentence, being forced to “live cheek-by-jowl with the peasant convicts”, he had regained his admiration for the peasantry - not through abstract idealism, but through a deeper and grounded appreciation (Frank, 1990, p. 88). 

With context established, it is important to now define trauma to assess the impact of Dostoevsky’s experiences effectively. Trauma refers to an overwhelming event, either sudden or prolonged, and is typically categorised as acute (one-time), complex (series of events), chronic (long-term), or secondary (of indirect exposure) (JED foundation, no date; Missouri's Early Care & Education Connections, 2022). Thus, Dostoevsky’s mock execution qualifies as an acute trauma, while his imprisonment represents a chronic trauma. 

1.3 The Years of Ordeal and Notes from the House of the Dead

Joseph Frank’s The Years of Ordeal, the second volume of his five-part biography on Dostoevsky, serves as a foundational source within this essay. Published in 1990, it is regarded as one of the most comprehensive studies on the author, drawing on a wealth of both primary and secondary materials including: personal letters, memoirs, historical records, and Dostoevsky’s own fiction. Frank, a leading scholar in Russian literature, holds a Ph.D in comparative literature and has spent nearly two decades teaching at Princeton, rendering this source highly reliable. A central component of his account is Notes from the House of the Dead, Dostoevsky’s semi-fictionalized prison memoir. Due to censorship under the Tsarist regime, Dostoevsky was forced to alter and fictionalise his experiences (Frank, 1990; Kroeker and Ward, 2014). Although this raises questions about its reliability, the memoir, nonetheless, remains valuable due to its autobiographical content, corroborated by external accounts (Frank, 1990). Overall, despite its limitations, Notes from the House of the Dead remains essential for understanding Dostoevsky’s psychological transformation. Thus, this essay will reference it through Frank’s authoritative framework, alongside other scholarly sources.

2. Mock Execution: An Overview

Dostoevsky’s mock execution - an acute trauma - had a significant impact on his psyche, submerging him into a spiritual and existential reflection which set the stage for his following chronic trauma. Using modern psychological science in conjunction with an illuminating letter Dostoevsky had written to his brother, it is possible to scrutinize the psychological effects and subsequent mental shifts that had occurred. 

During Dostoevsky’s mock execution, open graves had been dug, military personnel were assembled, and a priest read aloud the convicts’ sentence, pressing the Christian cross to each of their lips (Frank, 1990). The soldiers aimed their rifles at the men and prepared to fire. However, moments before firing, the convicts’ sentences were suddenly commuted to penal labour in Siberia. Carefully orchestrated, the Tsar endeavoured to inflict maximum impact on the victims, and as Frank (1990, p. 52) puts it, “terror” was being used as a “revolutionary weapon”. Clearly, it was a kind of psychological experiment meant to humble political prisoners. 

2.1 A Transcendental Experience 

Faced with imminent death, Dostoevsky underwent a deeply transcendental episode, marked by a surreal detachment from reality - a classic symptom of depersonalisation. Insights from professional counsellor Josephine Creighton (2024), who holds degrees in social psychology and counselling, offer a helpful framework for understanding the impacts of near-death experience (NDE), which can be applied to Dostoevsky. NDEs or near-death experiences are defined as “profound transcendental events experienced on the threshold of death” (Greyson, 1983). Navarro (2020) expands on this, explaining that NDEs can occur either when a person is close to death or when they are clinically dead and later revived. In Dostoevsky’s case, it was the former. Creighton (2024) explains that such experiences often provoke profound spiritual or existential revelations, which can be seen in Dostoevsky’s transformation. Using the semi-autobiographical novel “The Idiot”, which Dostoevsky wrote years later, it is possible to scrutinize Dostoevsky’s spiritual experience. The main character, Prince Myshkin, recalls a man sentenced to death and unexpectedly pardoned - an event mirroring Dostoevsky’s own. The man fixates on golden rays of light from a church cupola, believing it represented the very divine nature he would soon embody - a highly transcendental and mystical thought. This vivid, metaphysical imagery convincingly suggests a psychological process of depersonalisation: a defence against the threat of death, whereby an individual excludes and replaces unpleasant realities with a pleasurable and peaceful fantasy, protecting them from emotionally paralysing trauma (Greyson, 1990). In this way, Dostoevsky’s suggested hyperfixation on the golden light, acting as an utopian escape, can be convincingly inferred to serve as such a coping mechanism. Encounters with bright light and or beings of light are commonly associated with the NDE (Navarro, 2020; Greyson, 2008), further validating the experience. Furthermore, the presence of the nearby Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh supports the event's plausibility. Fascinatingly, Greyson (2008) also notes that paradoxical feelings may surface during an NDE. This is highly accurate in Dostoevsky’s case, since he felt both a “mystic terror” (Miller and Strakhov, 1883, p. 119, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 55) and was “quite excited” (Lvov, 1956, no. 63, p. 188, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 58). As an eyewitness and compatriot of Dostoevsky, Miller's account is highly reliable. Overall, Dostoevsky’s NDE likely offered psychological protection through depersonalisation while catalysing a profound spiritual episode.

2.2 New Convictions and a Renewed Life Narrative 

As well as Dostoevsky’s experience during his NDE, his secondarily formed convictions are just as significant to understanding the psychological effect of the event. The result of his mock execution was an array of new convictions such as an increased sense of happiness, love, inner strength, moral purification, and a better understanding of the purpose of one's life (Frank, 1990). In an overarching sense, Dostoevsky can be explained to have experienced Post-traumatic growth, which is the experience of “finding benefit or value in a trauma experience” (Kaminer and Eagle, 2010, p. 77). This definition is further reinforced by Khanna and Greyson (2015), who explain post-traumatic growth as the event of positive psychological change after an extreme trauma. In this way, traumatic experiences can be used as a vehicle for positive change. Dostoevsky’s newly formed convictions are clearly demonstrated via a significant and retrospective letter he had written to his brother, Mikhail, immediately after his brush with death (Frank, 1990). This letter is highly valuable for numerous reasons. Firstly, the provenance - coming directly from the victim - adds immense significance. Moreover, the fact that it had been written minutes after the event renders the content highly credible. Finally, since it is a private correspondence, the contents likely capture Dostoevsky’s uncensored feelings, making the content incredibly valuable in the pursuit to comprehend the genuine psychological/spiritual consequences of the incident. Individuals who have experienced trauma often adopt a victim complex, leading them to think, “Why did this happen to me?” whereas others may feel as though they have been protected and are extremely lucky (Kaminer and Eagle, 2010; Creighton, 2024). The latter is evident in how Dostoevsky recounted to his wife years later, “I cannot recall when I was ever as happy as on that day […] I […] sang at the top of my voice, so happy was I at being given back my life.” (Frank, 1990, p. 76). Furthermore, alongside experiencing happiness, Dostoevsky’s psyche was profoundly transformed by the variety of meaningful revelations he gained from his NDE. Kaminer and Eagle (2010) explain how there are three meaningful outcomes which come out of NDEs: positive changes in the perception of self, improvement in relationships with others, and a changed philosophy of life - all of which are apparent in Dostoevsky. 

 

For example, he perceived a newfound spiritual strength, or as Frank (1990, p. 62) puts it, an “armour of spiritual invulnerability” in himself. This is evident in his insistence to his brother: “never before have I felt welling up in me such abundant and healthy reserves of spiritual life” (Dostoevsky, 1929-1859, I:130-131, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 60). Furthermore, he continues, “I am not afraid that any kind of material hardship will destroy me”. Thus, it is clear that Dostoevsky adopted a certain spiritual strength and confidence as a result of his NDE, resonating with Kaminer and Eagle’s proposed “positive change in the perception of self”. Secondly, Dostoevsky experienced a growing connection to his brother, stating “and only then did I know how much I love you my dear brother”. Carter (2010) confirms that the ability to give and receive love is a central message linked to those who have experienced a NDE. Finally, the “changed philosophy of life”, where one gains a greater appreciation of life, finding a richer meaning/purpose to life, is also evident in Dostoevsky. This is demonstrated in how he reflects on his life: how much time “I [...] wasted on nothing [...] futilities, errors, laziness, incapacity to live, how I did not value time, how little I appreciated it [...] Life is a gift, life is happiness, every minute can be an eternity of happiness […] if youth only knew! In changing my life I am now reborn in a new form […] brother I swear […] I will be reborn for the better” (Dostoevsky, 1929-1859, I:130-131, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 62). This emphasises how Dostoevsky had gained a greater appreciation of life - a common consequence of NDE (Greyson, 1983, cited in Khanna and Greyson, 2013; Schaeppi, 2018). 

Additionally, a deeper understanding of life's meaning and purpose is another common psychological result of the NDE (Navarro, 2020; Greyson, 1990; Greyson, 2008; Khanna and Greyson, 2013). This applies to Dostoevsky as he came to find what he thought was the true purpose of life, as “not to lose heart and not to give in no matter what misfortune may occur - that is what life is, that is its task, I have become aware of this. This idea has entered into my flesh and blood” (Dostoevsky, 1929-1859, I:129, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 63). Thus, he believed that life came from within and that happiness did too, that no misfortune could break a human, and that the upholding of this human integrity was life’s purpose. Moreover, he believed that no misfortune could outweigh the immense happiness subsequent to our ability to be alive. Significantly impacted by the wave of renewal from his trauma, he became committed to communicating to others the same conviction of infinite possibility that he had experienced (Frank, 1990). Coming to realize the true purpose of life, Dostoevsky can convincingly be argued - both by various source authors (Frank, 1990; Navarro, 2020; Greyson, 1990; Khanna and Greyson, 2013) and through inference -  to have felt a greater connection to the universe, while his desire to dedicate his life to communicating his findings supports the idea of an increased connection with other people. 

Finally, an increased compassion and love for others/universal love is also a common trait of the NDE (Khanna and Greyson, 2013; Carter, 2010; Greyson, 2006). This is evident in Dostoevsky as he gains a greater desire for forgiveness, displaying a certain moral purification. For example, Dostoevsky relayed, “If anyone remembers me nasty or if I quarrelled with anybody… ask them to forget” (Dostoevsky, 1829–1859, I:130, cited in Frank, 1990). He felt a need to forgive and to be forgiven, a desire to embrace others in unconditional love. He also endeavoured to communicate the saving power of Christ as “Expiation, forgiveness and love” took over his, alluding to the absolute christian amendment of mutual, all forgiving and all embracing love (Frank, 1990, p. 63). In this way it is clear that this experience also had a major effect on his religious faith as well as having broader positive psychological effects.  

3. Siberian Labour Camp, Omsk Prison: An Overview  

Exiled to Omsk prison and forced into manual labour, Dostoevsky endured chronic trauma that truly transformed his psyche, theopolitical doctrine, and view of the peasant class. To analyse this transformation, two key primary sources, his Siberian letters and The House of the Dead, will be utilised alongside wider psychological science. Initially, the peasantry’s immediate and relentless hostility toward Dostoevsky deeply shocked and disturbed him (Schlaudraff, 2014). He had previously believed that true cruelty stemmed from the elite, and yet in prison, he found all to be “defiled and degraded” (Dostoevsky, 1862, 4:10, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 96). Shankman (2013) and Frank (1990) explain how he adopted a deep sense of resentment towards the peasant class, which simultaneously ate away at himself, challenging his former humanitarianism. However, by the end of his sentence, he no longer viewed the peasantry with disdain or as abstract cogs in a socialist system, but as morally complex individuals whom he deeply admired (Frank, 1990). It can be reasoned that he came to see the peasantry as the spiritual heart of Russia, redeemed not through political reform but through faith, suffering, and divine submission. While prison conditions and his epilepsy can be logically seen to have laid the groundwork for psychological change, two experiences were central in catalysing his renewed love and transformed perspective. 

3.1 First Impressions and an Emerging Contempt 

The first year of Dostoevsky’s four-year sentence can be deemed the worst, as he became exposed to the brutal nature of the peasant convicts and to a society which alienated him, sending him into a depressive state. A Polish nobleman warned him: “they are ill disposed to you because you were once a gentleman [...] you will meet with a lot of unpleasantness here” (Dostoevsky, 1862, 4:32, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 98). Dostoevsky came to learn that “he [ a noblemen] is not a friend, and not a comrade” and will “forever be painfully conscious that he is solitary and remote from all” (Dostoevsky, 1862, 4:198, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 99). This social alienation paired with horrific prison conditions led to his withdrawal from society and resentment for the peasant class (Shankman, 2013; Jackson, 1995; Kroeker and Ward, 2014; Frank, 1990) - this took a severe psychological toll.

3.2 The Psychological Toll of Prison: Alienation, Austerity and Abuse 

Dostoevsky, already known for his sensitivity and difficulty handling opposition, likely experienced prison subjugation more intensely than others (Frank, 1990). He described the “misery of that first year” as “intolerable” and its “bitter effects” as “poisoning” his whole life (Dostoevsky, 1862, 4:176, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 105). Psychologically, he likely felt worthlessness, despair, and apathy, common emotional states for prisoners, which contribute to a phenomenon known as prison rot, where emotional and cognitive function deteriorate (Taylor, 1960). This is evident in how he became withdrawn, embraced self-hatred, and expressed hostility towards others. (The fruition of hostility and introversion, in long-term prisoners, is corroborated (A et al., 1973).) Frank (1990) explains how Dostoevsky despised the peasant convicts, marking a stark shift in his humanitarian outlook, and adopted a masochistic self hatred, “craving to tear open one's wound on purpose, as though the consciousness of one's misery was an actual enjoyment” (Dostoevsky, 1862, 4:56, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 100). Fascinatingly, Erving Goffman’s theory of total institutions aligns with prisonization, emphasising how isolated institutions, like prisons, reshape identities and behaviors by imposing new norms and expectations (Placer, 2009). Dostoevsky, submerged in hatred and hostility, became a product of this very environment. He later admitted “there were moments when I hated everybody […] innocent or guilty [...] the most unbearable misfortune is when you yourself become unjust, malignant, vile” (Dostoevsky, 1854, I:143, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 105) - an observer described him as “wasted”, speaking only in “fragmentary and brief replies”. Additionally, Quandt and Jones (2021) highlight loneliness as a key factor in prisoners’ poor mental health. Alongside daily persecution from the peasantry, Dostoevsky’s isolation is poignantly captured in his remark: “there was only one creature in the world who was my friend - my faithful dog Sharik” (Dostoevsky, 1862, 4:77, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 101). 

Regarding the prison’s physical conditions, Dostoevsky describes being “packed like herrings in a barrel”, sleeping only on wooden “bare boards”, and enduring “intolerable closeness” (Dostoevsky, 1928-1959, pp. 135-37, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 76). This undoubtedly had a severe impact on his psyche since overcrowding, as explained by Quant and Jones (2021), intensifies mental challenges, contributing to both depression and hostility. Moreover, Dostoevsky himself wrote, “In this enforced communism one turns into a hater of mankind […] the society of other people becomes an unbearable torture” (Dostoevsky, 1854, I:143, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 152).

Finally, Major Krivstov’s relentless tyranny can be inferred to have compounded Dostoevsky’s psychological distress. The Major would routinely inflict severe punishments for minor infractions, such as sleeping on the wrong side, including up to 200 lashes (Gentes, 2002). An “eternal threat of punishment” plagued Dostoevsky (Dostoevsky, 1928-1959, pp. 135-37, cited in Frank 1990, p. 77). This abuse would have indefinitely heightened his psychological stress, contributing to a growing hostility. Ultimately, the brutal conditions of prison cultivated a severe mental dissent in the author, leading to his view of the peasant class to become highly negative, sharply contrasting the humanitarian idealism he had held before prison.

3.3 Opposed to the Tsar to a Russian Patriot: An Inner Crisis, a Divided Self 

Though initially opposed to the Tsar, Dostoevsky’s time in the labor camp triggered an unexpected ideological shift, awakening a deep sense of Russian patriotism. This newfound nationalism conflicted with his growing disdain for the peasant convicts, creating a psychological crisis best understood through the psychological theory of the “divided self” - coined by William James (James, 2009, p. 127, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 118). Initially, Dostoevsky aligned himself with Polish noblemen, who openly scorned the peasants. However, as a result of political arguments, exacerbated by the Crimean War of 1853, he began to embody a significant patriotism and nationalist sentiment (Frank, 1990). It can be convincingly argued that this shift was a result of Donald Clemmer’s theory of prisonization, where prisoners adapt to the norms of prison life (Placer, 2009, p. 13). For example, if we apply this theory to the smaller control group of the Polish, it can be argued that due to being exposed to their severe nationalism, it ignited Dostoevsky’s own nationalism. In this way, his political identity was likely reshaped, becoming a sort of Russian patriot, despite being initially opposed to the Tsar regime. As a result, Dostoevsky found himself caught in a profound inner crisis as he was torn between his newfound patriotism and an extreme disdain for the peasant class which had been compounding (Frank, 1990). William James states that the act of conversion can occur in any area of life and not only in typical forms, such as in religious contexts (James, 2009). This can be seen in how Dostoevsky eventually experienced a conversion in his feelings towards the peasant class as well as in his theopolitical stance. However, it is ascertained that this process does occur when one is tormented by a severe inner conflict and has become what James calls “a divided self” (Frank, 1990, p. 188). Significantly, James also explains that if the person affected is more sensitive or spiritually aware, their inner turmoil will likely manifest in the form of moral guilt and shame, “of feeling inwardly vile and wrong […] of standing in false relations to the author of one's being and appointer of one's spiritual fate.” (James, 2009, p. 130). This resonates highly in Dostoevsky’s case, as he began to feel guilt and shame upon reflecting on his hatred towards his own people (Frank, 1990). Furthermore, his spiritual and religious conclusion from his mock execution, being that of embracing all in unconditional love and thus communicating the saving power of Christ, was evidently in conflict with his current hateful state. Therefore, Dostoevsky felt immense inner conflict as a result of his contempt toward the peasantry (Frank, 1990), knowing it betrayed the compassion he had embraced through Christ’s teachings in childhood and after his mock execution. This deep turmoil likely laid the foundations for a deeper psychological transformation. 

3.4  The Perfect Environment for Change: 

The combination of the harsh prison conditions and Dostoevsky’s snowballing guilt cultivated the perfect environment - and a malleable psyche - for his convictions toward the peasantry to undergo a complex conversion, regenerating the humanitarian outlook he once held. Ultimately, it was within this fragile mental state that two key events were able to catalyse the regeneration of his convictions towards the peasantry, as well as contributing to a shift in his broader theopolitical beliefs. These events are, firstly, a vision of a peasant named “Marey” and a theatrical experience in prison. Dr. William Sargant explains that when an individual reaches nervous exhaustion due to stress or psychological strain, it can lead to “transmarginal inhibition” (Frank, 1990, p. 118) - a wiping out of old behavioural patterns, making the individual highly susceptible to new ideas and beliefs. In extreme cases, Pavlov refers to this as the “ultraparadoxical phase”, where past convictions are entirely reversed and replaced (Sargant, 1971, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 118). In Dostoevsky's case, the extreme physical and mental stress from alienation, cramped living conditions, inner conflict and abuse logically disrupted his nervous system, triggering this state and increasing his receptivity to new beliefs. However, whether or not he reached the “ultraparadoxical phase” remains open to interpretation. While he did experience a profound shift in his attitude toward the peasantry, it may reflect a reawakening of earlier humanitarian beliefs, now deepened and transformed, rather than a full conversion. Where he once saw the peasants as mere cogs in a socialist ideal, he came to view them as the spiritual core of Russia: complex, dignified, and worthy of respect. Additionally, Dostoevsky’s epileptic seizures (beginning in 1850) likely compounded his psychological exhaustion - clinically termed as the “overloading of the brain with stimuli to the point of convulsion,” - creating exactly the state of “transmarginal inhibition” that breaks down old mental patterns and allows for the formation of new ones (Frank, 1990, p. 119). Ultimately, the mental toll of prison life and seizures placed Dostoevsky in an extremely malleable state, enabling two significant events to effectively reshape his beliefs and values. 

3.5 Peasant Marey and Theatre: A Complex Regeneration of Positive Convictions 

As mentioned, two key events reshaped Dostoevsky’s views: a vision during Easter and a theatrical experience at Christmas, both significant Christian holidays. The Peasant Marey vision was particularly transformative, as it marked the first time Dostoevsky truly and emotionally identified with the peasantry (Frank, 1990), rekindling his earlier loving attitudes. Still torn between hatred and moral obligation (a clear manifestation of his “divided self”), Dostoevsky found solace in Easter rituals/lenten service, which provided breaks from labour and evoked memories of his untroubled childhood faith. During mass, the sight of convicts bowing in chains struck him and revealed their profound faith and devotion (Shankman, 2013; Frank, 1990). Yet, due to Dostoevsky’s “divided self”, resentment and contempt often resurfaced (Frank, 1990). However, a Polish convict’s comment, “I hate these bandits![peasants]”, (Dostoevsky, 1876, p. 206, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 122; Shankman, 2013, para 5) catalysed a transformative shift in the author. This remark led him to recognize how strong his identification with the Polish had become and how far he had strayed from that of his fellow Russians. Lying on his plank-bed, his conflicted sentiments lingered before giving way to a transformative vision: The Marey Vision (Frank, 1990, Shankman, 2013). 

Frank (1990, p. 122) explains that at a peak in his inner struggle, Dostoevsky turned inward, using a “technique of involuntary association” to release repressed memories and relive his psychic blockages. Frank (1990) and Bagby (2016) further clarify that Dostoevsky’s inward reflections would begin with small memories that grew into vivid images and ultimately served as a form of self-psychoanalysis. This introspection, common among convicts seeking “refuge” in their interior lives (Hardt, 1997, p. 66), clearly mirrors the theory of depersonalisation mentioned earlier, as Dostoevsky distanced himself from his painful reality and instead sought to create idealized versions of memories, “taking refuge from bitter reality” (Leningrad, 1972-1990, 28:1:171, cited in Jackson, 1995, p. 4). Years later, Dostoevsky stated: “Truth dawns in adversity” (Leningrad, 1972-1990, 28:1:177, cited in Jackson, 1995, p. 4) and Jackson (1995, p. 4) adds that this “truth for Dostoevsky was indubitably Christian truth.” Jackson’s argument is a convincing one, since Dostoevsky’s vision resulted in a highly Christian epiphany. For example, during his vision, a memory of his childhood encounter with a peasant named Marey resurfaced. Frightened by a possible wolf sighting, he had ran to a peasant working in the fields of his father’s estate. Marey had immediately soothed him, smiling gently and assuring him that there was no wolf, before blessing him with the Christian cross, and sending him back home (Ferry, 2023; Shankman, 2013; Frank, 1990). This memory, lost for 20 years and now vividly recalled, deeply moved Dostoevsky as he recognised in Marey’s unselfish compassion a profound Christian love, free from ulterior motives and made even more significant given their social differences and the absence of any reward or recognition (Ferry, 2023).

The pure Christian love Dostoevsky had witnessed through his vision, led to a shift in his perspective, best understood via the psychological process of “transmarginal inhibition” - where old patterns of brain behaviour and response are wiped from the brain and new beliefs/convictions form. When applied to Dostoevsky, it is clear that his hostile and negative outlook on the peasantry was wiped and replaced with a renewed loving and compassionate attitude. “I suddenly […] could look at these unfortunates with quite different eyes […] all hatred and rancor had vanished from my heart […] that despised peasant […] why he might also be that very same Marey; I cannot peer into his heart after all” (Dostoevsky, 1876, p. 210, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 123; Shankman, 2013, para 6). Fascinatingly, this experience mirrors Emmanuel Levinas’s ethics of the “other”, which stresses that individuals must not be reduced to societal categories, as each person has a unique, unknowable subjectivity (Shankman, 2013). Moreover, Leavinas argues that we must respect this unknowable aspect, avoiding stereotypes that limit the infinite possibilities of what others might be (Shankman, 2013). Comparatively, when applied to Dostoevsky, it is clear that his encounter with Marey reflects this idea, as he realizes that the compassion found in Marey may be within the very convicts he had grown to despise; he cannot fully understand the “other [convicts]”, leaving them infinite. Ultimately, this vision clearly reawakened and regenerated Dostoevsky’s humanitarian outlook, but redesigned it with a new sense of genuine compassion and humility. 

3.6 Theatre: A Deepening of Sentiments 

While the peasant Marey vision reignited Dostoevsky’s Christian compassion for the peasantry, it was the shared experience of theatre that can be seen to truly open his eyes to the convict’s deeply positive features, deepening his renewed conviction into genuine respect and admiration. During Christmas, a military ward was transformed into a theatre, where convicts could perform for fellow inmates and external spectators, momentarily dissolving social divisions (Jackson, 1995). Jackson (1995, p. 9) explains how the event allowed convicts to shed their outcast status and reclaim dignity through symbolic communion, becoming “new identities” and “full humans”. This resonates with Goffman’s theory (cited in Hardt, 1997) that convicts seek refuge from their realities via dreams of freedom. Fascinatingly, given Quant and Jones’s (2021) findings on prison loneliness and its mental toll, the performance potentially offered Dostoevsky a rare reprieve, perhaps even reversing his psychological stress and reinforcing his emerging loving attitudes. He began to see moral depth in many of his fellow convicts (Frank, 1990). Notably, since Dostoevsky declared many of the convicts good (Frank, 1990), there is an argument that he may have blurred moral boundaries, admiring criminals indiscriminately - this is reasonable since, due to the mental stress of prison and epilepsy, his brain functions most probably were not operating at a rational baseline. However, Frank (1990) debunks this misconception, noting that Dostoevsky consistently condemned crime. He wrote “there are crimes…that will be considered so as long as man remains human,” and even considered some irredeemably evil, “of another species” altogether (Dostoevsky, 1876, 4: 15, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 137). Thus, while he grew to admire many convicts, he never confused humanity with inhumanity. This clarification makes it evident that his reflections on the convicts’ goodness were rooted not in moral confusion but in genuine insight. He described the convicts with a “strange light of pure, childlike joy […] shining on those lined and branded brows […] usually so gloomy” (Dostoevsky, 1876, 4: 122-123, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 134). Jackson (1995) and Frank (1990) also stress how he had identified the theatre with the church as well as his own childhood - times of harmony and bliss, which he saw on the faces of all.

Unlike the rest of the penal camp, where Dostoevsky’s noble status made him a target of ridicule, the prison theatre inverted these social dynamics. Here, he was shown unexpected respect and a front-row seat (Jackson, 1995; Frank, 1990). Although others claimed this was purely a transactional gesture, Dostoevsky believed it reflected moral sensibility and justice: the convicts deferred to his greater familiarity with Western plays: “They looked upon me as to some extent a theater-goer [...] on this occasion I had the honor of a front place.” (Dostoevsky, 1876, 4: I2I-122, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 134). Fascinatingly, in Notes from the House of the Dead, he casts himself as a mere observer, but Jackson (1995) clarifies that he actually directed the productions (highlighting the text's blend of fact and fiction). Since this role would not have been censored, his downplaying may reflect a form of humility. Nevertheless, Dostoevsky perceived the convicts, even those who disliked him, as adhering to an unspoken ethic: they did not assert power outside their domain, embodying a justice rooted in mutual respect. Ultimately, building on his Marey vision, the theatre experience deepened Dostoevsky’s view of the lower class - not as resigned victims but as moral exemplars. “There is not much our wise men [upper class] could teach them. On the contrary, I think it is the wise men who ought to learn from the people” (Dostoevsky, 1876, 4: 121-122, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 135). Through this, Dostoevsky abandoned the idea that intellectual elites must redeem the masses through a socialist ideal, coming instead to see divine truth among society’s humblest members, in their moral and ethical wisdom. Psychologically and in an overarching manner, the theatre experience suggests a certain continuation of transmarginal inhibition, as his new and emerging convictions began to solidify, overturning negative pastimes. 
 

4. Conclusion

In conclusion, the deep psychological impact of Dostoevsky’s mock execution and imprisonment reshaped both his theopolitical beliefs and his view of the peasantry. While it is tempting to scrutinise which trauma affected him more, it was their interwoven relationship that truly cultivated his transformation. The mock execution sparked intense post-traumatic growth, filling him with a transcendent, purifying love, an awakening he embraced that was later shattered and replaced with hatred, via the brutal reality of imprisonment (Frank, 1990). This stark contrast, from one emotional extreme to another, explains the depth of his psychological collapse; his guilt over hating the peasantry became unbearable precisely because it clashed with the intense love he had prior embodied, ultimately opening the path to a renewed, more grounded humanitarianism, stripped of earlier condescension and idealism. This complex regeneration is clearly a result of a form of “transmarginal inhibition” - a release of old behaviours/beliefs and the formation of new ones due to intense psychological stress (Frank, 1990).

Dostoevsky’s evolving theopolitical views were shaped by his transition from utopian socialism, which saw the peasantry as needing redemption by the elite, to a return to a deepened Christian worldview that revered the peasants for their moral justice and love. The immensely stressful environment of the labor camp, coupled with his psychological vulnerability, clearly played a crucial role in this change. Ultimately, his experiences led him to see the peasantry not as passive objects of reform, but as moral teachers, a view shared by Shankman (2013) and Frank (1990), as a class from whom the elite should learn, not lead; “the wise men…ought to learn from the people” (Dostoevsky, 1876, 4: 121-122, cited in Frank, 1990, p. 135).
 

Beyond reshaping his own worldview, Dostoevsky’s traumatic experiences also profoundly influenced thinkers like Kafka, Nietzsche, and Freud (who used his experience as a foundation when teaching psychoanalysis) (TV Brics, 2021), highlighting the depth and reach of Dostoevsky’s transformation. His exposure to both depravity and spiritual resilience among convicts lent his literary characters extraordinary psychological depth (Frank, 1990), allowing us to witness the raw and authentic truths of the human soul. Dostoevsky often chose to centre seemingly degraded peasants in his works to prove that love and strength could emerge even from the most unlikely places - a clear reflection of his own profound journey from hatred and contempt to a complex rediscovery of all-embracing love. All in all, perhaps the evolution of Dostoevsky’s views stands as a profound testament to humility and the transformative power of love born from suffering.

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