I have often been asked if psychopaths have souls. This is an impossible question to answer, although it is best examined if, by 'soul' one means compassion and considerate empathy for other human beings. Then the answer to this question would have to be no.
Yet, so many psychopaths claim to have spiritual authority and set themselves us as leaders of churches, cults or invoke a spiritual dynamic to their personality in order to impress others. I firmly believe that psychopaths are unable to attain what most people might term a genuine 'spiritual' experience, but they are aware of the effects such an experience has upon others. Similar to love and compassion, a spiritual experience to a psychopath is an alien concept, but much like love and compassion, they can fake it very well when targeting the audience they require.
One thing I am certain of, is that psychopaths are capable of having what we have come to call a 'psychedelic' experience. This being a state of consciousness outside space and time providing transformative experiences and insights. Another aspect of the psychedelic experience is that while a normal person comes to feel the experience is an expression of connectedness and oneness with all humanity, nature and the cosmos, a psychopath undergoing a psychedelic experience tends to see it as proof that they themselves are either God, or have a special purpose or powers which only they can deliver to the world.
When psychopathic cult leaders and church ministers report having undergone a visionary experience, it is something to be taken very seriously indeed. If anything, the psychopath has come to understand how powerful the supernatural transformative effect is with most people. From this, the psychopath could learn how to trigger the same state of transformational change in other people. To place them under a spell. Even if a psychopath can not understand the music of the 'spiritual' experience, they are capable capable of reading—and far more importantly—writing the score.
The Scottish comedian Billy Connolly had a great line. "As soon as they start designing their own uniforms...RUN!" The same rule could be applied to individuals designing their own religion or sect.
Thomas Sheridan is an independent alternative artist, author, satirist, musician, public speaker, broadcaster and researcher currently based in the West of Ireland. His illustrations have appeared on the covers of newsstand magazines, books and websites worldwide.
The Anvil of the Psyche is considered a vital manual for personal and social survival in a world controlled by greed and false hopes. Thomas' writings and interviews have evolutionised people to build a firewall around their own psyche and not to be lured into handing over personal independence to an exterior collective or guru. As a result, his NO CONTACT EVER AGAIN philosophy applied to controlling individuals and groups has made Thomas an enemy of mind-controlled death cults and neo-Nazi fringe groups. Thomas has also been featured in several films and documentaries.
The Anvil of the Psyche is considered a vital manual for personal and social survival in a world controlled by greed and false hopes. Thomas' writings and interviews have evolutionised people to build a firewall around their own psyche and not to be lured into handing over personal independence to an exterior collective or guru. As a result, his NO CONTACT EVER AGAIN philosophy applied to controlling individuals and groups has made Thomas an enemy of mind-controlled death cults and neo-Nazi fringe groups. Thomas has also been featured in several films and documentaries.
Cats (i have several) react to abnormalities of the human condition (whether a soul is dark, light, or empty) according to ancient Egyptians, who revered cats as guardians of the space between living and dead. In other words, protectors of the soul. Have you ever seen a cat's reaction to a psychopath? It's almost a fear reaction. I think psychopaths are humans. Humans have souls. Some souls are evil from the get. But don't ask me. Ask a cat.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true -- probably why most psychopaths hate cats!
Deleteno i dont hate cats. i just think they are useless and hate the fact that they wont stay in my hands.
DeleteYeah, because you can't control them.
DeleteDogs bark and snarl at psychopaths. They sense the EVIL in them.
DeleteMany great thinkers such as the pre-socratic thinkers, Epicurus, Epictitus and countless others who were by no means violent people or psychopaths felt strongly enough about life on earth to devise philosophies which had religious implications. I think the monotono-theistic religions have unfortunately given 'religion' and all yearning for the divine a bad name, especially when religion is used for power and an attack against human nature. The Greek gods I'm sure served very important spiritual functions for the Greeks and cannot be reduced to simple power dynamics. Today, too, everyone has a religion of sorts, everyone transcends him or herself to an extent and needs a ground that is strong enough to support him through life. You could argue that money has a metaphysical, religious quality for many powerful people, even business, science, art, belief in the state, or even the soundess of common sense are idols of sorts... I'm sure the Sony Playstation and the Microsoft Xbox serve some kind of spiritual, metaphysical purpose for many 'consumers', materialism is itself something spiritual, i.e. it serves a need that is not merely one of biological survival. I agree that people who feel themselves on a divine mission to preach and convert to their cause - usually with some unspoken motive such as pecuniary gain or easy sex - are perhaps lacking a 'conscience' and are really driven to power and control but that should not in itself cast all spiritual yearning and yearning for the divine in a bad light. As you yourself pointed out in your books, pseudo-objective fields such as psychiatry are religions too and it could be convincingly argued that even modern science grew out of preoccupations with God, the 'truth' and 'what lies behind things'. I, for instance, would have perished long ago had I not found a spiritual quasi-religious basis enabling me to suffer and yet still say yes to life.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you say here, refreshing to read...i'd like you to write a piece for my website along these lines if you would??... email me at helenaphotography@hotmail.co.uk to discuss thanks
DeleteWhat is sad here, is the fact that people like you, Bubo, simply CAN'T believe that anything spiritual could possibly exist. There's nothing "quasi" about your beliefs, Bubo.
DeleteWhen my younger brother first began speaking as a toddler he used to say telling things like "when I was a big man I used to wear a big coat", etc. and later on, that became more personal proof to me that reincarnation exists and that we have souls. He was recalling his previous life.
ReplyDeleteLater in life I came to a point when I was sick and tired of being targeted by psychopaths and I convinced myself that the difference between them and me is that they don't have souls. Then this same brother had the opportunity to significantly fcuk up my material life and he took it thus revealing to me that he is in fact a psychopath. Because of this I have a NCEA policy when it comes to him and I changed my mind and now believe psychopaths have souls and do undergo reincarnation.
That is just a personal experience of mine that proves that psychopaths do indeed have souls but I also believe that their souls aren't unique to them as individuals but rather they are all clones of Satan being constantly reincarnated and "feeding" on the unsuspecting people in each lifetime - even their own siblings...
I've often wondered though if psychedelics might serve as some sort of treatment for psychopathy. Is there any information (even anecdotally) of the effect of psychedelics on psychopathy? I hear the argument that it might only exacerbate the issue, but.. Is that all we know? THANKS!
ReplyDeleteI think that death is the only time a psychopath will relinquish their need for control. When faced with inevitability of it they will regret the way they lived. Death is the only cure for the hate they have for being born...
ReplyDeleteI wonder as well...WHEATHER they do or don't...The idea that maybe they have the dark souls of humanity makes sense 2 me. If u look at it from a religious or spiritual stand point..we're suppose 2 b children of God whereas they maybe the children of Satan. We r the children of light...having compassion,empathy,and an ability to love whereas they DO NOT!!! WE R OF GOD THEY R OF THE DEVIL! Filled with Rage,hate,and Desstruction 4 everyone including themselves!
ReplyDeleteThey are a dark force and energy. They r children of Satan. We are children of God!! That simple.
ReplyDeleteMy experience in life has led me to believe psychopathy may be a spectrum disorder. I seem to be surrounded by people who have varying degrees of this disorder. One theory that has come to mind is that psychopaths/sociopaths are unevolved souls, which would align with the theory of reincarnation. That we evolve over successive lifetimes to develop compassion, empathy and love. A lot of people I have met act like children and they may be in there 50's or 60's, indicating to me that they are still very emotionally immature.
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