Raine, Samenow, Fallon: Neuropsychology & The Work

[biala84]

I almost finsh to read a book Criminal Mind and Psychopathy and i think it's good comparison. From the book ,,Inside the criminal Mind'' is good to know that exist people who choosing them free will to control Us by emotional or psychological way to get what they want. In the beggining U can be a victim, once you don't get it what's going U can turn like them or start to lie to Yourself, which we know where this can bring You. They use diffrent kinds of manipulation tacktis. Criminal word don't only mean a people who break the low, murders,rapist, also people who are trying to manipulate Us for them own buisness. For them they see them self like a good persons... After reading a book and from my own experience i know exist people like this and You can feel they push to much to get only things for their own interest. Relations between human beings should be natural without any abuse. We are the one to feel when someone is passing that line and start to recognize when to cut it.

The book ,,Psychopathy" is also interesting, but in different meaning then free will. The writer is rather trying to get focus on the problem of pychopathy, which we met this kind of people during Our existence. Now after reading that book i will not look so critically cases of psychopathy, because the deep stress when thay were very young could change the function of them brain and what's next they don't feel the same way as we feel, but they know what they are doing. This book is rather touching the function of the brain and sometimes we are not guilty that Our brain is functioning in this or that way like having tumor in the brain can change Your behaviour radically, but maybe sometimes we are not enough aware of why the behaviour is changing. Knowing how is working brain of psyhopath and knowing the traits of them we can more easy with that knowledge solve some situation and in the same way to prevent once we meet them....

 

[whitecoast]

I finished both of Samenow's books about a week ago. I enjoyed the myth of the out-of-character crime more than I did his initial book. Much of his ethos of working with criminals reminds me a lot of Don Juan in Carlos Castaneda's books, who constantly emphasized that warriors are responsible people, who take responsibility and blame for even the tiniest violations of their principles. The opposite of course is to face life like a victim: someone subjected to external forces and who is at their mercy. A lot of psychological research finds benefits to having an internal (instead of external) locus of control. Sott covered an article on this awhile ago, and much of the commentary therein pays homage to many Stoic concepts of self-control.

https://www.sott.net/article/297809-Possessing-an-internal-locus-of-control-improves-our-ability-to-cope-with-adversity

For me, one of the hardest facets of stress is relinquishing control. And though there is control in how I personally react and choose to respond to circumstances, there's also a feeling of helplessness; a feeling that control is not completely present.

I don't have complete control over genuine and natural shifts in relationships — the progression of people growing apart. New perceptions affect awareness; they affect how connections are conceived.

I don't have complete control of the past, and all the baggage that comprises such chapters.

I don't have complete control over nodules in my thyroid that may or may not get bigger; that may or may not require a biopsy or further treatment.

I don't have complete control over a competitive job market or a profession that may not lend itself to a stable, sufficient income.

From an evolutionary standpoint, the desire for a sense of control is a profound psychological need.

"If we are in control of our environment, then we have a far better chance of survival," an article on changingminds.org stated. "Our deep subconscious mind thus gives us strong biochemical prods when we face some kind of danger (such as the fight-or-flight reaction)."

Interesting. Though life is renowned for unpredictability, individuals crave a sense of control. Some factors, though, are simply uncontrollable.

Psychologists have studied this human need for decades, referring to the concept as locus of control (LOC).

"The more internal our LOC, the more we believe our own efforts determine what happens in our lives; the more external our LOC, the more we feel our lives are controlled by outside forces (chance or powerful others)," according to a 2014 article in Psychology Today.

Research illustrates that those who possess an internal LOC experience greater happiness, health, success and the ability to cope with adversity.

While, at times, we have to succumb to external variables, we can still embody an internal LOC — by how we respond to such variables and by seizing control in other areas of our lives.

When undergoing stress, I can ask myself: what are the choices I can make right now? I can conquer my fear of stage fright and sing at an open mic night. I can paint at my desk for the sole purpose of catharsis. I can embark on day trips to new places and emotionally rejuvenate. I can wear a different shade of lip gloss or highlight my hair.

While none of these actions resolve conflict, they do emanate control.

In a post on Tiny Buddha, Lori Deschene explains that when she starts ruminating on something out of her hands, she chooses to think about what she can change.

"Right now, you can control: how many times you smile today," she wrote. "How you interpret situations; how nice you are to yourself in your head; the type of food you eat; what books you read; how many times you say I love you."

And who knows; with this kind of confidence, dealing with problems may become a bit easier.

When experiencing stress, we don't always have total control — we can't control every situation, and we certainly cannot control other people. And although the need for a sense of control is significant, we can still exert control in how we react to stressors, and we can still utilize choice in other aspects of our lives.

There definitely seems to be an element of self-training and conditioning involved, to get us to groove more neurological channels directed towards having pragmatic and adaptive approaches to problems and adversity. It's not something that happens overnight, which in part may be why recidivism rates are so high. Even Adrien's books emphasized teaching criminals about meditation, proper nutrition and exercise, and other approaches that can improve the functioning of the prefrontal cortex. The ability of those things to reduce criminality is obviously contingent on the willingness of the individual to change as well, which (as Samenow says) often involves highlighting deeply uncomfortable observations about ourselves.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Some more bits from the Leroy chapter that stood out for me, and which I think will be helpful for practical application here and in life in general:

Yochelson's manner: direct yet polite, neither gullible nor cynical. Feigned (or real) moral indignation doesn't get you anywhere most of the time - it just puts people on the offensive. It's possible to be honest and respectful, and it's effective. It shows that manipulation won't work, and earns respect in turn. It's just good basic diplomacy without childish provocation. And there's no anticipation: "time will tell." One example: Yochelson asks Leroy, "Am I right?" Leroy responds, "You could say that."

Yochelson would pounce on that statement and point out that it showed Leroy to be a coward who presented a tough exterior to the world, but who didn't have the guts to face up to who he was. When Leroy replied, "I don't know," Yochelson said that "I don't know" is typical of a criminal who fears tarnishing his image by being truthful. Yochelson demonstrated how everything that Leroy said was revealing of his personality. ["Yochelson continued to unmask Leroy by dissecting his every statement or question."] ...

Yochelson had remained calm and polite, even when he expressed his total opposition to Leroy's way of life. He did not ridicule Leroy, browbeat him,
berate him, or treat him with anything less than respect. So Leroy continued to sit there and take it, almost mesmerized while Yochelson picked him apart and presented him with a mirror image of himself.

"The options": imprisonment, suicide, change. Obviously not really applicable here, but the principle is the same. What are your options when confronted with behavior that is problematic in regard to FOTCM values? Either let your life fall apart and become slave to your ego, or change.

This quote is relevant to the Paul/Stoicism discussion:

This is by no means a fast or easy process. The task requires demolishing old thinking patterns, laying a new foundation by teaching new concepts, and building a new structure wherein the criminal puts into action what he is taught.

Crucify "I", identify with "X", then DO it (in "S"). And Leroy's way of putting it was apropos: "He viewed the old life as a living death."

Importance of fear and guilt: "Yochelson would try to intensify them. ... Without fear and guilt, [Leroy] could never live responsibly." Straight out of Dabrowski. And so un-PC/SJW. Love it. Yochelson "had no interest in [Leroy's] feelings. ... in order to change he would have to grow intensely fed up with himself." More Dabrowski: evoking level-III dynamisms, e.g. guilt, dissatisfaction with oneself. (Speaking of SJW's this bit struck me as relevant in today's political climate: "every time Leroy injected the racial issue he was angry and seeking an excuse for irresponsibility.")

Importance of foresight/prospection/thinking ahead: "[Leroy's] existence would seem regimented and frustrating as [he] encountered problems that he never knew existed." "[The criminal] must learn to anticipate situations in which he might be angry, and then think them through in advance." Think not only of future events, but future thinking. Consider the consequences of acting on a thought. Don't make exceptions for yourself. Be grateful for things going wrong, because it helps you learn to cope with adversity and be better equipped for the future.

Training wheels for thinking about thinking: "think of this exercise as though a tape recording of [your] thinking were being played back." Each day, ask "What did you learn?" Take stock of yourself. More questions: "Who are you? How do you affect people? What do you want to become? What do you expect of others?"

External considering: "He must evaluate himself before criticizing others. If his wife is unreasonable, the important issue is how he reacts."

 

[Gwenllian]

Importance of fear and guilt: "Yochelson would try to intensify them. ... Without fear and guilt, [Leroy] could never live responsibly." Straight out of Dabrowski. And so un-PC/SJW. Love it. Yochelson "had no interest in [Leroy's] feelings. ... in order to change he would have to grow intensely fed up with himself." More Dabrowski: evoking level-III dynamisms, e.g. guilt, dissatisfaction with oneself. (Speaking of SJW's this bit struck me as relevant in today's political climate: "every time Leroy injected the racial issue he was angry and seeking an excuse for irresponsibility.")

Raising my hand here. I think I often injected the racial issue as some of my loved ones are of mixed race. Interestingly, they are much better equipped to deal with it than I am. Like a true SJW I see racism everywhere, so I asked one of my family members how he was dealing with this issue. He told me that he tends to ignore it. We had just come back from the shops where a shop assistant was following us the moment we entered the shop (we were probably looking a bit tired and dishevelled because we had just moved house). I actually saw her colleague pointing at us. So, she became our personal assistant, she even followed us outdoors (at that point she seemed a bit panicky, because she had lost us after I had paid for my groceries). So we went up to her and I told her that we had just moved house and could she please give us directions as I didn't know my way around town. I think I made a joke, she laughed and we parted amicably... The tension had evaporated. The point being that our reaction as AI said is the important issue.

TBH, at times I still have to fake it until I make it, but I am incredibly grateful for these books and the work that the forum is doing in order to steer us in the right direction.

 

[Altair]

Finished Psychopathy: An Introduction to Biological Findings and Their Implications (Psychology and Crime) by Raine and Glenn and I think it's a good rich in detail complementary reading to The Anatomy of Violence.

Here are some intresting excerpts.

Instrumental vs. reactive aggression:

When psychopathic individuals do demonstrate aggressive behavior, it tends to be more instrumental in nature. Instrumental aggression is planned, predatory, unprovoked aggression that is used to achieve a goal. Individuals with other disorders associated with aggression, such as schizophrenia, intermittent explosive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder, and individuals with conduct disorder or APD who do not demonstrate psychopathic traits generally do not demonstrate instrumental aggression. Instead, the aggression of these individuals is primarily reactive in nature. Reactive aggression is triggered by a frustrating or threatening event and involves unplanned attacks on the source of the threat or frustration. Individuals with psychopathy also demonstrate reactive aggression, in addition to instrumental aggression.

Distinction between primary and secondary psychopaths:

In addition to the distinction between successful and unsuccessful psychopathy, other subtypes have also emerged.

More recent research has supported this idea. Models assessing personality characteristics of individuals with high overall scores on psychopathy measures reveal two subgroups— one group described as being emotionally stable and generally unreactive to stress, and another group characterized by negative emotionality, impulsivity, and hostility. These two groups have been referred to as primary and secondary psychopaths. Secondary psychopathy has been found to be associated with higher levels of anxiety (e.g., Newman and Schmitt 1998, Skeem et al. 2007) and poorer interpersonal functioning (i.e., demonstrating greater irritability, greater social withdrawal, lack of assertiveness) than primary psychopaths, yet rates of antisocial behavior are similar (Skeem et al. 2007). Evidence suggests that different factors may influence the development of these two subtypes of psychopathy (Kimonis et al. 2011, Skeem et al. 2003). In addition, each may be characterized by different neurobiological abnormalities.

About equal role of genetic and enviromental factors in contributing to psychopathy:

The general consensus from these studies suggests that genetic factors account for approximately 40 to 60 percent of the variance in psychopathic traits, an estimate that is consistent with the results of behavioral genetics studies that have examined the heritability of other personality dimensions (Bouchard and Loehlin 2001). This means that, on average, genetic and environmental factors contribute approximately equally to the disorder.

In contrast, changes in psychopathic traits over time were found to result primarily from environmental factors, meaning that any changes in the level of psychopathic traits over time appear to be due to environmental influences.

About difficulty to link single genes to psychopathy and moderating effect of environmental factors:

As mentioned previously, linking a single gene variant (called a polymorphism) to a complex psychological disorder such as psychopathy can be difficult because the contribution of an individual gene is typically very small (Canli and Lesch 2007). Psychological disorders are influenced by many genetic polymorphisms, as well as by environmental factors. Therefore, studies attempting to link a candidate gene to a disorder often require very large sample sizes to detect an effect, and observed effects may account for only a small proportion of the variance in the disorder (Lesch et al. 1996).

When considering the real-world applications of identifying gene candidates, it is important to remember that the impact of any particular gene variant is probabilistic, as its effects are influenced by other gene variants and by environmental factors. Thus, it will be important to also examine the role of these genes within a larger context to identify the factors that may moderate gene expression.

In addition to the small effect that the gene may have, whether the gene confers any risk within a given individual may be dependent on environmental factors, as well as the presence of other genes with which it may interact.

About cumulative effect of "psychopathic genes":

This is in line with the evidence from behavioral genetics studies, which suggest an additive genetic effect— the more risk genes an individual has, the greater the probability of developing psychopathic traits.

There is no "crime gene":

By no means is there a single gene, or even a small group of genes, that will enable us to predict which individuals will commit crime in the future. Genes confer risk for traits such as those observed in psychopathy, which may heighten the risk for criminal behavior, but we will never be able to use genes to predict which individuals will become psychopathic or persistent criminals. In reality, hundreds and maybe thousands of genes are involved, each of which makes a small contribution by coding for proteins and enzymes that in turn affect brain functioning, psychological processes, and ultimately behavior. Criminal behavior and the traits associated with it are like the countless other human traits and behaviors that are influenced by genes. The general consensus is that “many genes of small effect” underlie the majority of these complex behaviors and traits.

Environmental factors play a substantial role:

Research has begun to explore the ways in which the environment is able to influence the way that genes are expressed, or turned on and off. For example, evidence has shown that separating rat pups from the mother in the first three weeks of life results in increased expression of a gene associated with stress hormones in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the brain, two regions that are critically involved in regulation of the stress response. In addition, the rats who were separated from their mother also demonstrated fearlessness and a reduced stress response in adulthood (Weaver, Meaney, and Szyf 2006). This suggests that environmental factors early in life, such as maternal behavior, can directly change gene expression and thus alter the way in which the brain develops. These structural modifications to DNA may have profound influences on neuronal functioning and, hence, the development of traits such as those observed in psychopathy. In sum, many genes may be controlled by the environment, functioning differently depending on environmental conditions.

Genes are not destiny:

Individuals with genetic risk factors are not destined to develop along a fixed track. Environmental conditions may have the ability to diminish or exacerbate the negative effects that risk genes may have. By attempting to prevent adverse environmental conditions that alter gene expression, we may be able to block some of the negative effects that are associated with risk genes. Similarly, environmental enrichment may help to diminish negative effects and thus alter the course of individuals with genetic risk factors.

Hormones as mediators between genetic or environmental factors and brain functioning:

Hormones are chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream and bind to receptors in the brain and body. When hormones bind to receptors in the brain, they can affect the functioning of brain regions. Hormones can be thought of as an intermediate step between genetic or environmental factors and brain functioning. Genes code for these molecules, as well as the proteins that transport, receive, and metabolize them. In addition, hormone systems are highly sensitive to environmental and psychological factors such as stress. Thus, hormones represent one mechanism by which genetic and environmental factors have an effect on the brain.

The two primary hormones that have been associated with psychopathy are cortisol and testosterone. Cortisol and testosterone have been associated with several features that are observed in psychopathy, including blunted stress reactivity, fearlessness, aggression, and stimulation seeking.

Cortisol is the hormone that is released by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is part of the body’s system for responding to stress. It is involved in potentiating the state of fear, generating sensitivity to punishment, and promoting withdrawal behavior (Schulkin, Gold, and McEwen 1998); psychopathic individuals have deficits in these areas. They are described as having a fearless temperament, as less responsive to situations that most would find stressful, and as less sensitive to punishment. This leads to the hypothesis that the HPA axis may be underactive. Testosterone is released by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Testosterone is hypothesized to be associated with psychopathy because its levels are much higher in males than in females and may correspond to the increased prevalence of psychopathic personality and antisocial behavior in males compared to females. It has also been associated with several features that are observed in psychopathy including reward seeking (Daitzman and Zuckerman 1980), dominance (Archer 2006), and aggression (Dabbs, Jurkovic, and Frady 1991). Research has found that there is a large degree of interaction between the HPG and HPA axes.

...it has been hypothesized that cortisol levels may be reduced in psychopathic individuals. Low resting cortisol levels have been associated with impaired fear reactivity in young children (Kagan, Reznick, and Snidman 1988), increased sensation seeking in men (Rosenblitt et al. 2002), and increased monetary risk taking (van Honk et al. 2003). In the latter study, van Honk and colleagues suggested that low cortisol levels may decrease punishment sensitivity and increase reward dependency.

The amygdala is a major binding site for both cortisol and testosterone and thus the ratio of the two hormones can alter amygdala responsivity to fearful or threatening stimuli (Schulkin 2003). As described above, cortisol is involved in potentiating the state of fear and increasing sensitivity to punishment, whereas testosterone is associated with reward sensitivity, fear reduction, and increased approach behavior. Therefore, an imbalance involving decreased cortisol (low fear) and increased testosterone levels (high approach/ reward seeking behavior) can change the responsivity of the amygdala to reduce sensitivity to punishment cues or fearful stimuli, and increase sensitivity to reward.

In addition to effects on the amygdala, the hormonal imbalance involving decreased cortisol and increased testosterone may also disrupt the connectivity between subcortical (e.g., limbic) regions such as the amygdala and cortical structures. Studies have used electroencephalography (EEG) to demonstrate relative increases or decreases in subcortico-cortical “cross-talk.” Injections of testosterone have been shown to reduce the communication between these regions (Schutter and van Honk 2004), whereas cortisol has been shown to strengthen it (Schutter and van Honk 2005; van Wingen et al. 2010; van Peer, Roelofs, and Spinhoven 2008). Neuroimaging data in psychopathic adults and youth suggest that connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal regions is indeed compromised (Craig et al. 2009; Marsh et al. 2008). The decoupling between subcortical and cortical regions that may result from increased testosterone relative to cortisol may have effects in two ways. First, during decision making, emotion-related information from the amygdala that signals cues of threat, risk, or harm to others may not be able to reach cortical areas in order to inform the decision. This may result in the callousness, lack of empathy, risk taking, and goal-directed aggression observed in psychopathy. Second, cortical regions may be less able to send inhibitory signals to subcortical regions, resulting in deficits in emotion regulation and inhibition (van Honk and Schutter 2006), which contribute to reactive aggression and emotional instability observed in psychopathy.

In sum, hormones reflect an intermediate step in the biological pathway; hormone systems can be influenced by genes and by environmental factors, and in turn influence the functioning of the brain. The involvement of hormones in the development and maintenance of psychopathy is significant because it may help to explain numerous findings in the field. Decreased cortisol levels and increased testosterone levels may help to explain poor decision making, blunted stress reactivity, fearlessness, poor conditioning, and increased instrumental aggression, all of which have been observed in psychopathy. In addition, examining the role of hormones may also lead to a deeper understanding of neurobiological findings in psychopathy. Brain imaging studies have highlighted several key brain regions that appear to be hypo-functioning in psychopathy, but have thus far not been able to explain the source of this hypofunctioning. The consistent findings of reduced amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex activity may be a result of an imbalance in cortisol and testosterone levels.

Aversive Stimuli

Psychopathic individuals have been found to demonstrate reduced skin conductance responses to facial expressions of sadness and fear (Blair 1999, Blair et al. 1997), imagined threat scenes (Patrick, Cuthbert, and Lang 1994), anticipated threat (Hare 1965, 1982, Hare, Frazelle, and Cox 1978, Ogloff and Wong 1990), and emotionally evocative sounds (Verona et al. 2004). Overall,

Aversive Conditioning

Aversive conditioning involves learning that an unpleasant event, such as an electric shock, loud noise, or foul odor, is associated with a particular cue.

Patients with lesions to the amygdala have been found to have deficits in aversive conditioning (Bechara et al. 1995). One brain imaging study of psychopathy has provided support for this hypothesis, demonstrating reduced activity in the amygdala during aversive conditioning in psychopathic individuals.

Startle Blink Reflex

Another common psychophysiological measure is to assess the modulation of the startle reflex. The startle reflex is the automatic jump reaction people show when they suddenly hear a loud noise or feel an unexpected touch. This response is enhanced by exposure to threatening or anxiety-provoking stimuli.

Extensive evidence shows that individuals with psychopathic traits do not show enhancement of the startle reflex in response to negative visual stimuli.

Psychopath's inability to shift attention:

One of the deficits observed in psychopathy is that individuals have difficulty shifting attention from a current goal to take in peripheral information that may be important. For example, the individual may continue to engage in behaviors despite the fact that the behavior is no longer rewarding, or it elicits punishment.

Feedback-Related Negativity

This suggests that individuals with psychopathic traits have intact processing of external negative feedback but reduced ability to use this feedback to form an internal template of the rules (stimulus-response mappings). This was confirmed in the behavioral data, which showed that psychopathic individuals were less accurate in responding during the task, and that they had a smaller increase in accuracy of responding as learning progressed.

About impaired amygdala functioning:

On several tasks, individuals with psychopathic traits demonstrate deficits that are similar to those observed in patients with damage to the amygdala. For example, tasks have been designed to examine how well people are able to recognize the facial expressions of others. Patients with damage to the amygdala have been found to have deficits specifically in the recognition of fearful facial expressions

Disruptions in the ability to recognize fear in other people may disrupt socialization. They may limit the ability to learn from social punishment provided by parents and other individuals. In addition, youth with fear-processing deficits may not find the fearful expressions of others to be aversive, and therefore may engage in harmful acts despite this nonverbal feedback from peers...

Attention-Based Model of psychopathic behavior:

...psychopathic individuals display normal abilities to avoid monetary punishment when this is their only goal. However, they exhibit deficits in the ability to avoid monetary punishment when the task also involves a goal of earning monetary rewards. It is suggested that when their primary goal is earning reward, they are unable to reallocate attention to cues of potential punishment.

Neuropsychological studies have tried to further clarify the nature of the attentional deficits. Research suggests that there are two mechanisms of attention that regulate the processing of irrelevant, distracting information in the environment. One process occurs early and is involved in perceiving and recognizing external information (perceptual selection), and the other occurs later and is involved in suppressing the effects of irrelevant distractors once they have been recognized (cognitive control). The suggestion is that psychopaths have deficits particularly in this early phase— they do not perceive and recognize appropriate signals in the environment and therefore do not attend to cues that should guide their behavior. As a result, psychopathic individuals may have difficulty shifting their attention from their current goal or task in order to attend to peripheral information that may signal that they should change their behavior

The authors suggest that reduced connectivity between hemispheres may cause functions primarily facilitated by the left hemisphere, such as approach behavior and language processing, to be relatively unmodulated by functions facilitated predominantly by the right hemisphere, such as behavioral inhibition and emotion processing, and vice versa. Inefficient sharing of information between hemispheres may also interfere with flexible and adaptive responding.

After the last excerpt this C's quote comes to mind:

Q: (L) What did Isis searching for her lord Osiris symbolize?

A: Separation of female energy from male energy union.

Q: (L) Does this have anything to do with brain activity?

A: Yes. The separating of the hemispheres of the brain.

Q: (L) Was this achieved through DNA modification?

A: Yes.

Q: (L) What did the son of Isis, Horus, represent?

A: New reality of limitation.

Q: (L) What is the meaning of Horus avenging himself upon Set, the murderer of his father, Osiris?

A: Beginning of perpetual conflict energy to limit humanity.

About importance of connectivity between the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex:

A couple of studies have examined the connectivity between the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex. As discussed in Chapter 3, reduced connections between these regions may mean that (1) emotion-related information from the amygdala that signals cues of threat, risk, or harm to others may not be able to reach cortical areas in order to inform decision making, resulting in the callousness, lack of empathy, risk taking, and instrumental aggression observed in psychopathy, and (2) cortical regions may be less able to send inhibitory signals to subcortical regions, resulting in deficits in emotion regulation and inhibition.

About compensatory function of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in psychopaths:

...several functional imaging studies of psychopathy have observed increased activation in this region during tasks that involve emotional processing (Glenn, Raine, Schug, et al. 2009, Kiehl et al. 2001, Gordon, Baird, and End 2004, Rilling et al. 2007). Since the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is involved in higher cognition, it has been suggested that some psychopaths may use more cognitive resources to process affective information than do nonpsychopaths.

However, increased white matter concentration was observed in one region, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, suggesting possible advanced development. Interestingly, this is the region discussed above in which some studies of adult psychopathy have found increased functioning. This suggests that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is a region that may develop more quickly in psychopathic youth, and may be a region that compensates for deficits in other brain regions.

Biosocial and Environmental Influences:

...although we tend to categorize hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain structure/ functioning as “biological” risks, in reality these abnormalities may have either environmental or genetic origins. For example, reduced cortisol levels could result from a particular gene or set of genes, and may be present regardless of the environment in which the individual develops. Alternatively, an individual may not carry any genes that predispose for reduced cortisol levels, but may develop reduced levels due to an environmental influence such as exposure to toxins in utero or trauma in early childhood. In most cases, cortisol levels likely reflect an interaction between genetic and environmental factors, or what we refer to as a biosocial interaction. In this case, the individual may carry some risk genes, but these may confer little risk unless triggered or “switched on” by an environmental influence. Thus, it is important to keep in mind that the “biological” findings reviewed in the preceding chapters could result from genes, environmental factors, or a combination of both.

"Social push" hypothesis:

Another hypothesis is the social push perspective (Raine 2002) which argues that the association between antisocial behavior and biological risk factors will be weaker, rather than stronger, in adverse home environments because social risk factors for crime camouflage the biological contributions. For example, in adverse social environments, individuals may develop antisocial behavior regardless of whether they have genetic or biological risk factors. However, if an individual from a benign home environment is antisocial, then biological risk factors are more likely to play a role.

Conclusions about the role of biological factors:

A common misunderstanding is that biological factors are determined by genetics alone. Many do not consider the possibility that many biological correlates of psychopathy or criminal behavior can be the result of environmental influences. Even Cleckley argued, “Such biologic deficiencies are not necessarily hereditary” (Cleckley 1976, p. 116). By influencing gene expression, the environment can change the brain. Environmental stressors may alter the brain in a way that increases risk for the development of psychopathy. However, environmental enrichment may alter the brain in ways that may buffer the individual from the development of these traits. Because an individual’s DNA sequence cannot be altered, changing the environment is the key to solving the problem of psychopathy. It is important to remember that biology is not destiny, and that many risk factors can be avoided or reduced by environmental modifications. Environmental influences can modify the way that genes are expressed, thus altering the effects that genes have on the brain, and, in turn, psychopathic traits.

Successful vs. unsuccessful psychopaths:

On tasks that that rely on the functioning of the orbitofrontal cortex or amygdala, successful psychopaths demonstrate similar deficits as criminal psychopaths.

One study directly compared four groups: criminal psychopaths, noncriminal psychopaths (i.e., successful), criminal nonpsychopaths, and noncriminal nonpsychopaths. Iria and Barbosa (2009) examined fearful facial expression recognition in a go/ no-go paradigm in which fearful faces were the “go” stimuli and all other facial expressions were the “no-go” stimuli. They found that both criminal and noncriminal psychopaths committed more omission errors (i.e., they did not recognize the fearful face [go stimulus] and respond accordingly). These findings suggest that psychopathy is related to poor ability to identify facial expressions of fear, regardless of the presence of (overt) criminal behavior. The ability to recognize fearful facial expressions is thought to rely on the functioning of the amygdala

On tasks assessing executive functioning, successful psychopaths do not demonstrate deficits and show either equivalent or better performance than nonpsychopathic control participants.

Another study has also suggested that there may be psychophysiological differences between successful and unsuccessful psychopaths. In a sample of individuals recruited from temporary employment agencies, Ishikawa et al. (2001) found that compared with unsuccessful psychopaths (those with at least one conviction), successful psychopaths had increased heart rate stress reactivity compared to nonpsychopathic controls. In contrast, unsuccessful psychopaths demonstrated reduced heart rate stress reactivity compared to controls. However, Dinn and Harris (2000) found reduced skin conductance responding to aversive stimuli in a community sample scoring high in psychopathy similar to that observed in criminal psychopaths (Lorber 2004).

...brain imaging studies suggest that successful psychopaths have deficits in the structure and functioning of the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, although these deficits may be to a lesser degree than those observed in unsuccessful psychopaths. This is supported by results from neuropsychological tests that assess the functioning of the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala, showing that successful psychopaths have similar deficits to unsuccessful psychopaths. Finally, skin conductance recordings show that successful psychopaths demonstrate similar deficits in fear-potentiated startle and responding to aversive stimuli as unsuccessful psychopaths, reflecting potential deficits in the amygdala. In contrast, in brain regions that are more involved in cognitive functioning, such as the superior parts of the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, and the anterior and posterior cingulate, successful psychopaths do not appear to demonstrate deficits, and some evidence suggests that functioning may be enhanced. Successful psychopaths perform better on a measure of divergent thinking and on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, two measures of executive functioning.

...successful psychopaths have deficits on tasks that index orbitofrontal cortex functioning, but may have intact or enhanced functioning on tasks that rely on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Enhanced autonomic responding and better executive functioning may protect a subgroup of psychopaths from being detected and arrested, allowing them to perpetrate significant harm to others in the community.

Again about importance of Omega-3 fatty acids:

Omega-3 fatty acids may also be particularly important in brain development and may be related to antisocial behavior. A correlational study indicated that increased national consumption of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids is associated with lower levels of homicide rates, even when controlling for a number of other potentially confounding factors (Hibbeln 2001). Omega-3 (specifically docosahexaenoic acid or DHA) makes up approximately 6 percent of dry cerebral cortex; it influences the functioning of the blood-brain barrier, enhances synaptic functioning, regulates the activity of membrane enzymes, protects neurons from cell death, influences cell size, stimulates the growth of neurons, regulates serotonin and dopamine neurotransmission, and regulates gene expression.

In a study of 8 to 10-year-old healthy boys, eight weeks of omega-3 fatty acid administration was found to significantly increase activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during a sustained attention task (McNamara et al. 2010). Omega-3 supplementation has also been found to alter the fluidity of cell membranes in the brain (Hirashima et al. 2004), suggesting that it has the potential to influence brain structure. Another study found positive associations between reported dietary omega-3 intake and gray matter volumes in the anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, and right amygdala

 

[whitecoast]

Thanks for the summation of Psychopathy, Altair. I find it helpful even after I've already read it. :)

A.I., I also felt a bit of Paul in Dr Yochelson. The emphasis on external considering and taking absolute responsibility seems very much about how your thoughts build your life. I'm currently reading all of Paul's letters before getting into Paul and the Stoics, and these passages from I Corinthians 3 seem pertinent, to the point of even throwing in some terror of the situation:

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Thanks for the summation of Psychopathy, Altair. I find it helpful even after I've already read it. :)

A.I., I also felt a bit of Paul in Dr Yochelson. The emphasis on external considering and taking absolute responsibility seems very much about how your thoughts build your life. I'm currently reading all of Paul's letters before getting into Paul and the Stoics, and these passages from I Corinthians 3 seem pertinent, to the point of even throwing in some terror of the situation:

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Just wait until we get to the cosmology stuff in the thread! (Sorry for the delay - coming relatively soon.) Let's just say Paul isn't being totally metaphoric here. But on the subject of Yochelson, yeah, for sure there's a bit of Paul in there, and the Stoic teacher.

 

[Ant22]

Some more bits from the Leroy chapter that stood out for me, and which I think will be helpful for practical application here and in life in general:

Yochelson's manner: direct yet polite, neither gullible nor cynical. Feigned (or real) moral indignation doesn't get you anywhere most of the time - it just puts people on the offensive. It's possible to be honest and respectful, and it's effective. It shows that manipulation won't work, and earns respect in turn. It's just good basic diplomacy without childish provocation. And there's no anticipation: "time will tell." One example: Yochelson asks Leroy, "Am I right?" Leroy responds, "You could say that."

(...)

Yochelson had remained calm and polite, even when he expressed his total opposition to Leroy's way of life. He did not ridicule Leroy, browbeat him, berate him, or treat him with anything less than respect. So Leroy continued to sit there and take it, almost mesmerized while Yochelson picked him apart and presented him with a mirror image of himself.

Having finished Fallon and both Samenow's books I'm currently 30% into Ressler's Whoever Fights Monsters and the bolded parts reminded me of Ressler's approach to conducting interviews with criminals:

[quote author= Ressler] Establishing respect requires a good deal of masking your personal feelings about the heinous crimes these people have committed. If, while a murderer was describing the way he had mutilated a body, I had conveyed my disgust by body language or facial grimace, that would have ended the discussion. On the other end of the spectrum, if I said something in response such as, “Oh, you cut her head off, no big deal, I know a lot of guys who did that”, the murderer wouldn’t be inclined to give me much further detail, either. Humouring violent crimes is not the way to deal with them. These people might be crazy but they’re not stupid - nor entirely insensitive to the nuances of interpersonal behaviour.

(...) One colleague of mine had to interview a man who had molested and murdered several children. The interviewer had children of his own, disliked the killer because of it, and the interview session became hopelessly compromised. When the inmate objected to cigarette smoke in the room and wanted to open the window, the agent responded that he should sit down and answer the questions without objection. When the interview subject was asked one of our standard questions - what he might rather have done if he had not entered into criminal pursuits - the convicted man said he would have liked to have been an astronaut.
“Yeah, and you’d have liked to have a little boy there the cabin with you” the agent said in an aside to an FBI colleague in the room
That was unnecessarily hostile behavior on the agent’s part, antagonistic questioning that defeated the purpose of the interview. The agent had fallen victim to the stress of the situation.” [/quote]

Having read the above sections from Ressler and Approaching Infinity’s post above I too agree that this respectful and free of personal feelings attitude is “helpful for practical application here and in life in general” as AI put it.

Another technique that caught my attention in Ressler was his attempt to try and find something positive about the killers. Early in my career I was advised to always start with positive feedback before conveying the negative stuff. If nothing positive can be found, I should keep looking for something until I've found it. I must say it has worked very well for me so far.

Another aid to my interviews was my consistent attempt to find and discuss something positive in the lives of these killers. Tex Watson had been born again; we could start with that. Heirens had been an exemplary prisoner. It was more difficult to find something positive with such a man as Manson, of course, but at least I could zero in on something that he might consider positive in his world, even if the rest of humanity might not consider it in the same way: In Manson’s case, it was the way in which people related to him.

 

[luc]

I'm still reading Raine's Anatomy of Violence, and another thing that stood out for me was that there are so many findings now linking impaired brain development to psychopathic traits. Note that these impaired brains can develop already during pregnancy, such as a malfunctioning amygdala, which might lead to the emotional shallowness and inability to properly learn fear responses/conditioned compassion etc. that is so typical for the psychopath. It is still not clear why and how these brain impairments occur, except that there may be some risk factors such as alcohol abuse during pregnancy.

Anyway, I thought this is almost a "hit for the Cs", because they said that psychopaths are basically "malfunctioning organic portals". Turns out these people with psychopathic traits are indeed malfunctioning! Their brains are literally damaged, leading to erratic behavior.

The organic portal topic is obviously difficult and confusing here, but if we assume that the main difference between a "souled" individual and an OP is that the former has a deeper connection to the "universal mind" or "information sphere" or however you want to call it, maybe physical damage to the brain can lead to different results in these individuals; maybe their "higher connection" can mitigate brain damage to an extent, or it leads to self-destruction, or indeed to growth.

The OP on the other hand, if he/she is "properly functioning", is conditioned/socialized rather smoothly into society and often becomes a "good citizen". But if there is brain damage, he or she is like mal-programmed, out of control robot that isn't properly socialized, cannot deal with the world properly, and becomes either a total antisocial failure (history of imprisonment, violence etc.) or, depending on the nature of his or her damage, IQ etc. a successful psychopath preying on society like a parasite.

That's not the whole story certainly, but I thought this was an interesting connection to what the Cs said years ago.

 

[Cosmos]

I'm still reading Raine's Anatomy of Violence, and another thing that stood out for me was that there are so many findings now linking impaired brain development to psychopathic traits. Note that these impaired brains can develop already during pregnancy, such as a malfunctioning amygdala, which might lead to the emotional shallowness and inability to properly learn fear responses/conditioned compassion etc. that is so typical for the psychopath. It is still not clear why and how these brain impairments occur, except that there may be some risk factors such as alcohol abuse during pregnancy.

Anyway, I thought this is almost a "hit for the Cs", because they said that psychopaths are basically "malfunctioning organic portals". Turns out these people with psychopathic traits are indeed malfunctioning! Their brains are literally damaged, leading to erratic behavior.

The organic portal topic is obviously difficult and confusing here, but if we assume that the main difference between a "souled" individual and an OP is that the former has a deeper connection to the "universal mind" or "information sphere" or however you want to call it, maybe physical damage to the brain can lead to different results in these individuals; maybe their "higher connection" can mitigate brain damage to an extent, or it leads to self-destruction, or indeed to growth.

The OP on the other hand, if he/she is "properly functioning", is conditioned/socialized rather smoothly into society and often becomes a "good citizen". But if there is brain damage, he or she is like mal-programmed, out of control robot that isn't properly socialized, cannot deal with the world properly, and becomes either a total antisocial failure (history of imprisonment, violence etc.) or, depending on the nature of his or her damage, IQ etc. a successful psychopath preying on society like a parasite.

That's not the whole story certainly, but I thought this was an interesting connection to what the Cs said years ago.

I agree, that is pretty interesting. I'm currently at the "free will" chapter in the book and all through the book I kept thinking there must be more going on then just the mechanistic reasoning he develops, for why people behave like they do. But then again, the material world is likely just a part of the "information field", as probably everything else, so what happens mechanically here, in itself, might already be enough to explain why such things happen, without necessarily needing to involve the information field itself, for explaining it.

Also this quote from the C's becomes even more interesting now:

'Life is religion. Life experiences reflect how one interacts with God. Those who are asleep are those of little faith in terms of their interaction with the creation. Some people think that the world exists for them to overcome or ignore or shut out. For those individuals, the world will cease. They will become exactly what they give to life. They will become merely a dream in the 'past.' People who pay strict attention to objective reality right and left, become the reality of the 'Future.'

I guess having almost finished reading Collingwood, gives a somewhat better perspective on why and how Raine probably can only focus on that aspect, that excludes other factors, that are admittedly not proven, but nonetheless interesting to consider. When we factor in the "no free lunch" concept from the C's and that "everything is one big school" I can't help to think that there might be more to the story than the purely scientific approach (in the sense Collingwood describes the attitude).

I guess Laura could be on to something, in suggesting, that a field that maybe includes lessons from other "times" of this "individual", could influence how the brain develops after "reincarnation". Or your "innate nature" or "higher nature" reflects in the development of genes and the brain. What is also interesting, is the fact that shines through again here, that our brains and the rest of our bodies are very plastic, even when we get old. So everything we think, say and do, seems to be reflected in the brain and this can constantly change into the positive or negative direction.

Thinking errors seems to be the key here. While reading the book, it is very useful to apply those thinking errors to ourselves and try to discover, see and feel how we have similar tendencies that can propel us down the dark ally very fast. That is also one of the reasons why feedback from others is so important. Networking.

 

[Tristan]

I have read the Myth of Out of Character Crime and then I have started reading Inside of The Criminal Mind.

I have not yet started with those that are more specific about neurobiology though. Being the organic portals a problematic topic regarding its exact depiction and how the psychopaths enter into the equation...
I have always wondered if there are some skills or resources or even ways of acting that can be learned from e.g.'successful psychopaths' and might be specially useful to people who score highly in neuroticism. Since somehow in the 3D STS reality, it could be useful to protect ourselves from attacks or to go unnoticed, like it's shown in the movie The Invasion of The Bodysnatchers.

 

[luc]

I guess having almost finished reading Collingwood, gives a somewhat better perspective on why and how Raine probably can only focus on that aspect, that excludes other factors, that are admittedly not proven, but nonetheless interesting to consider. When we factor in the "no free lunch" concept from the C's and that "everything is one big school" I can't help to think that there might be more to the story than the purely scientific approach (in the sense Collingwood describes the attitude).

I think so, too. I guess we should remember that such scientific findings may be just the tip of a very large iceberg when it comes to empirical data. And we should be even more careful with any theories derived from such data - as Collingwood pointed out so well, "scientific" generalizations should be approached very carefully and with a lot of skepticism.

A bit OT, but regarding "there is no free lunch", I stumbled upon this Tom Petty song while going down the memory lane the other day - one manifestation of the classic archetypical story about what happens if we go for the "free lunch":

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A rebel without a clue indeed! And maybe the various forms of brain damage and other "mechanical" problems make us even more clueless, which then produces even more thinking errors, which then leads to "rebellious" behavior towards basic cosmic laws, which cannot end well.

 

[genero81]

Does genetics and brain dysfunction influence the soul? Or does the soul influence genes and brain function? I don't think it's either or. Depends where one is on the learning curve. If one is asleep I think genetics pretty much runs the show, but once one begins to experience 'the quickening' (to use a Highlander expression) and accelerates along the learning curve, then it's the soul that begins to influence genes and brain function.

The beast is tamed and ready for work. OSIT

 

[seek10]

Another interesting point might be: what if brain disorders are karmically or spiritually caused? That is, what if a seriously STS "soul" incarnates in a body and CAUSES the brain to twist and distort to match the spiritual essence?

So, I guess those who are looking for excuses not to change, Raine and Fallon will give them what they want; for those who are interested in free will potentials, Samenow is the ticket, even if The Work is difficult. As he shows, it can be done.

That brings up the chicken or the egg, which came first?

Was the damage caused by the soul, or

does the damaged brain result in an OP/Authoritarian follower, STS candidate, or STO candidate?

The C's said that STS has been looking to manipulate the harvest and perhaps this is why things have become so unnatural and even toxic in this world. This "predator's mind" could be another chicken or the egg scenario, where the potential of such thinking leads to a future reality of this evolution of STS. The limited free will here involves probability (of having a non damaged brain) and choice of that probability to not conform to the twisted society that is a result of even quite "normal" human traits of preservation of self and lying to oneself (to avoid stress, especially in trying times).

It was funny how Fallon tried to become more empathetic and yet he didn't see the point in many things. He was just acting out what was expected of him to be "a good person".

It is interesting how Fallon wrote his book. It started as if it is a semi-crime book when he found his scans matching the violent criminals. Interesting part is these scientist has the scans of the violent criminals not the scans of the "successful" psychopaths that were not caught. So all the comparison with Violent criminsals. He started with brain scan and what his wife said "you are like this movie character(psychopath)", but at the initial chapters this remark is drowned by his comments of how every body enjoyed his company. As book progressed he kept on adding additional information like how brains regions function like nuerotransmitters etc, it looked science book. As his genealogy added to it he went into 3 legged stool hypothesis ( abnormal brain ( low functioning of oribal preforntal cortex, anterior temporal lone including amygadala), ancestral genes, childhood raising ).

It looked Fallons was honest in narrating how he is trying to explain his "psychopathic" brain scan. In last but one chapter "Can you change a psychopath", it is clear that he is trying to imitate the behavior, knowing that he can't change it .

In the Last chapter called "Why Psychopaths exist" is more like rationalizations for "why psychopaths needed". the cautious rationalizations he mentioned cool headedness for war, normal people can use them for the things they are not capable etc. , woman likes risk taking mates, which psychopaths can fulfill etc. Interestingly, he added cautions to each positive arguments. For me the last chapter reminded me of Kevin Duttons "Wisdom of Psychopaths".

Though he thinks he is not psychopath in the end, For me, it looks he is psychopath even though he tried to name it pro-social psychopath/psychopath lite/lucky psychopath. The amount of publicity Fallon got around 2010 (TED talks, MSM article and serials, speeking assignments) made me wonder, whether he was used as a counter to publicity "psychopathy" got during this time and after "occupy wallstreet" type of protests. I could be wrong, that is the impression i got from this book.

 

[seek10]

Reading Resslers "Whoever Fights Monsters" is some what scary. This made me wondered about what type of society we are living in.Luckily these are not too many or much reported, but occasionally media sensationalism seems to create enough scar on public.

These are Sick minds whether Organized( planned with tool kits) and Unorganized(random). They seems to be doing for trophies, to satisfy sexual deviance, to get the excitement. Who get picked up as victim seems to be random in some cases. Some times, it is any body at the wrong place at wrong time.

Profiling is a art rather than science and not many law enforcing agents are able to withstand the stress and easily manipulable. Even after all the evidence and arrest, how the investigators, agents,therapists are conned is crazy. If they are going to recruit dumb people into police, this is what going to happen. He says these killers are crazy but not stupid.

Childhoods of Violence

“Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?” These three great questions from Gauguin’s triptych were the real subject of the prison interviews of murderers I had started on my own in the late 1970s.
...
Before going into the details of who these murderers are and how they became murderers, let me state unequivocally that there is no such thing as the person who at age thirty-five suddenly changes from being perfectly normal and erupts into totally evil, disruptive, murderous behavior. The behaviors that are precursors to murder have been present and developing in that person’s life for a long, long time—since childhood.
...
Nonetheless, though the homes seemed to outward appearances to be normal, they were in fact dysfunctional. Half of our subjects had mental illness in their immediate family. Half had parents who had been involved in criminal activities. Nearly 70 percent had a familial history of alcohol or drug abuse. All the murderers—every single one—were subjected to serious emotional abuse during their childhoods. And all of them developed into what psychiatrists label as sexually dysfunctional adults, unable to sustain a mature, consensual relationship with another adult.
...
The abuse that the children endured was both physical and mental. Society has understood somewhat that physical abuse is a precursor to violence, but the emotional component may be as important.
...
These children grew up in an environment in which their own actions were ignored, and in which there were no limits set on their behavior. It is part of the task of parenting to teach children what is right and wrong; these were the children who managed to grow up without being taught that poking something into a puppy’s eye is harmful and should not be done, or that destroying property is against the rules. The task of the first half-dozen years of life is socialization, of teaching children to understand that they live in a world that encompasses other people as well as themselves, and that proper interaction with other people is essential
...
The quality of a child’s attachments to others in the family is considered the most important factor in how he or she eventually relates to and values nonfamily members of society. Relationships with siblings and other family members, which might make up for a parent’s coolness in these situations, were similarly deficient in the murderers’ families.
...
It is true that most children who come from dysfunctional early childhoods don’t go on to murder or to commit other violent antisocial acts. As far as we could see, the reason for this is that the majority are rescued by strong hands in the next phase of childhood, that of preadolescence—but our subjects were definitely not saved from drowning; they were pushed further under in this phase of their lives. From the ages of eight to twelve, all the negative tendencies present in their early childhoods were exacerbated and reinforced.
...
Potential murderers became solidified in their loneliness first during the age period of eight to twelve; such isolation is considered the single most important aspect of their psychological makeup.
...
As the psychologically damaged boys get closer to adolescence, they find that they are unable to develop the social skills that are precursors to sexual skills and that are the coin of positive emotional relationships. Loneliness and isolation do not always mean that the potential killers are introverted and shy; some are but others are gregarious with other men, and good talkers. The outward orientation of the latter masks their inner isolation. By the time a normal youngster is dancing, going to parties, participating in kissing games, the loner is turning in on himself and developing fantasies that are deviant. The fantasies are substitutes for more positive human encounters, and as the adolescent becomes more dependent on them, he loses touch with acceptable social values.
...
The key to these murderers, if there is one, lies in the unremittingly sexual nature of their deeds. To a man, they were dysfunctional sexually; that is, they were unable to have and maintain mature, consensual sexual experiences with other adults, and they translated that inability into sexual murders. Not everyone who is unable to participate in kissing games becomes a sexually dysfunctional adult. It’s also important to recognize that having a good adult sexual relationship does not imply only heterosexual activity. There is such a thing as a successful homosexual relationship that is normal when looked at from the standpoint of encompassing two people who care for each other. Those killers in our sample who were homosexual were also dysfunctional in this regard, unable to maintain long-term relationships, showing a decided preference for bondage, torture, and sadomasochism in their short-term partnerships.
...
My research convinced me that the key was not the early trauma but the development of perverse thought patterns. These men were motivated to murder by their fantasies.
...
As one murderer told me, “Nobody bothered to find out what my problem was, and nobody knew about the fantasy world.”
...
The fantasies are characterized by strong visual components, and by themes of dominance, revenge, molestation, and control. Whereas the normal person fantasizes in terms of sexual adventures, the deviant links sexual and destructive acts.
...
Normal people relate to sexual activity as part of loving. Deviants feel the sexual urge without having learned that it has anything to do with affection. And so they become boys who think about going out and “getting it,” or “getting laid,” without reference to the potential partner as an individual or even as a human being. Most deviants don’t even know what they’re going to do with a female when they “get” her.
...
Cognitive mapping is the development of thinking patterns that affect how the person relates to himself and to his environment; it determines how the individual gives meaning to the events that happen in his world. He moves more and more into an antisocial position, viewing the world as a hostile place. He becomes almost incapabable of interacting properly with the outside world, because his thinking patterns are all turned inward, designed only to stimulate himself in an attempt to reduce tensions, which only reinforces his isolation. A loop is developed. The lonely teenager has aberrant fantasies and tries partially to live these out by tentative antisocial acts—the lie that is not found out; the cruelty to an animal, which does not have any ill effects on his own life; the fire that burns brightly; the frightening of a younger child that is not reported. He “gets away” with such acts. The effects of these accomplishments then become incorporated into his fantasies, which are pushed to a more intensively violent level. More retreat from society follows, and, eventually, so do more experiments with actualizing the fantasies.
...

Our society is going crazy with this instant gratification technology addictions -video games, pornography, social media, Virtual reality etc.

Most dealt in this book are serial killers. Despite all the variables, early trauma, no controls during the growing years, not all abused are serial killers. there is more variables. What C's saying is these are green baumed or mind controlled.

1996-10-05
Q: (L) Ok, that’s another one that’s dangerous to know right now... (V) Was the person I met last week, (Name deleted), was he Greenbaumed? Has he been Greenbaumed. (L) He was bizzare, wasn’t he?

A: Now, some history... as you know, the CIA and NSA and other agencies are the children of Nazi Gestpo... the SS, which was experiment influenced by Antareans who were practicing for the eventual reintroduction of the nephalim on to 3rd and or 4th density earth. And the contact with the “Antareans” was initiated by the Thule Society, which groomed its dupe subject, Adolph Hitler to be the all time mind programmed figurehead. Now, in modern times, you have seen, but so far, on a lesser scale: Oswald, Ruby, Demorenschildt, Sirhan Sirhan, James Earl Ray, Arthur Bremer, Farakahan, Menendez, Bundy, Ramirez, Dahmer, etc...

God knows what types of fantasies is getting created in people's mind which was not yet unleashed on to society. Luckily, not all exposed to these are going to the deep end as of now.