I’ve read most of the diaries and comments on the recent tragedy in Norway. Events like these, far too many in recent years, seem to defy any rational explanation. It is only natural that people of all political persuasions want a neat, tidy explanation that satisfies the desire to reduce all news to a one liner. “It’s the right wing extremist views.” or, “It’s the left wing disrespect for right wing values” or, “It’s racism, religious intolerance, immigration, or economic issues.”
Neuroscientists, psychologists and psychiatrists have a long history of exploration related to brain function and behavior. From my readings, it appears there is general agreement that the brain has both a conscious and unconscious state. The conscious brain takes action on what is, for lack of a better word, programmed, or hardwired into the unconscious mind. The conscious mind filters all learning and experience to reinforce what resides in the unconscious.
(Please feel free to correct, or expand on my limited understanding.)
My first interest in the subject of brain function was a result of volunteering as a guinea pig for an experiment at the University of Michigan. It was explained to this subject as involving hypnosis and psychic ability. I did not make it beyond the initial sessions.
That was a good thing. As some of you may be aware of government experiments in the 60’s related to “mind control” using hypnosis, and or drugs to create the equivalent of a “Manchurian Candidate”. The program was abandoned as a complete failure, unless you count “enhanced interrogation methods” or Faux News propaganda media.
http://www.cchrint.org/...
by Colin A. Ross
Psychiatrist, Author,
The CIA Doctors, Military Mind Control
and Project Bluebird
September 3, 2009
MKULTRA and related programs had several over-lapping purposes. One was to purchase mind control drugs from suppliers. Another was to form relationships with researchers who might later be used as consultants at the TOP SECRET level. The core purpose of these programs was to learn how to enhance interrogations, erase and insert memories, and create and run Manchurian Candidates. All of this is described clearly and explicitly in the declassified CIA documents, which provide a glimpse into the tip of the iceberg of CIA and military mind control.
Because of my interest in the topic, I was delighted last week when Eagleman's research regarding brain function was the topic of discussion.
You can review the interview at:
http://www.colbertnation.com/...
http://eaglemanlab.net/
David Eagleman Neuroscientist and author of NYT's Best Seller Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
http://www.newyorker.com/...
The Possibilian
What a brush with death taught David Eagleman about the mysteries of time and the brain.
by Burkhard Bilger April 25, 2011
Eagleman has also written that he believes our criminal justice system is out of touch with modern research. The article from The Atlantic magazine, written for the July/August publication, has a deja vu vibe related to the massacre in Norway.
http://www.theatlantic.com/...
The Brain on Trial
Advances in brain science are calling into question the volition behind many criminal acts. A leading neuroscientist describes how the foundations of our criminal-justice system are beginning to crumble, and proposes a new way forward for law and order.
By David Eagleman
ON THE STEAMY first day of August 1966, Charles Whitman took an elevator to the top floor of the University of Texas Tower in Austin. The 25-year-old climbed the stairs to the observation deck, lugging with him a footlocker full of guns and ammunition. At the top, he killed a receptionist with the butt of his rifle. Two families of tourists came up the stairwell; he shot at them at point-blank range. Then he began to fire indiscriminately from the deck at people below. The first woman he shot was pregnant. As her boyfriend knelt to help her, Whitman shot him as well. He shot pedestrians in the street and an ambulance driver who came to rescue them.
It is a lengthy article that is best left for the reader to review and evaluate. David Eagleman concludes that as far as the brain goes, not all humans are created equal.
He suggests that research evidence has found that certain physical abnormalities, like brain tumors, can result in abhorrent, inappropriate or criminal behaviors.
He also suggests that additional research is needed to understand the biological, genetic and environmental factors that dictate the brain functions on a individual basis.
I can only conclude that without adequate research funding we will never know what ticks under the hood of those who are capable of or commit mass murders, or other hate crimes for the stated sake of ideology. Labels like paranoid schizophrenic, psychopath, sociopath and psychotic describe behaviors, but fail to give any meaningful path that will prevent tragedy in the future.
I will check back in a couple of hours to respond to comments. (I have a commitment to provide the auto and adult passenger for my granddaughter's driver training lesson.)
(Additional articles on topics like AI, BioBolt and the US Pentagon Darpa research can be found below for those with any interest.)
BioBolt
http://www.kurzweilai.net/...
New brain-computer interface mobilizes patients, opens up new mind-control scenarios
June 20, 2011 by Amara D. Angelica
University of Michigan Center for Wireless Integrated Microsystems professor Euisik Yoon and colleagues are developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) that would handle the mind-to-ring communication part. DARPA is working on the other stuff, I'm guessing.
http://www.wired.com/...
Pentagon Wants to Give Troops Terminator Vision
By Spencer Ackerman December 22, 2010
In a solicitation released today, Darpa, the Pentagon's far-out research branch, unveiled the Soldier Centric Imaging via Computational Cameras effort, or SCENICC. Imagine a suite of cameras that digitally capture a kilometer-wide, 360-degree sphere, representing the image in 3-D (!) onto a wearable eyepiece.