Inside the Mind of a Cold Blooded Killer

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I am not surprised by my discovery here; I know from past studies which parts of the brain control various actions and thoughts, so it was only logical to determine that these centers for violence and emotion would have to be altered in some way. However, it did intrigue me that different types of killers show different brain abnormalities. Although it makes sense to me now, it’s rather interesting that various effects on the brain can elicit such a wide variety of responses. It is also interesting that not one single factor can make someone a killer; if an individual has brain damage that predisposes them to a life of violence, a good childhood could counteract it. Aside from what makes a serial killer, once an individual is established as one, it also interests me to know what they think of what they do and while they are doing it. It interests me to know what thoughts run through their minds as their victims are begging for their lives. Do they enjoy the agony of their victims? Do they feel nothing but anger? No matter where their motivation comes from, either DNA or home life, their thought process and reasoning for their victims and various patterns have piqued my interest. My third question is: what does a killer’s general psychology consist of? According to the article “What a Killer Thinks,” by Dave Cullen, there are three categories of killer motivation: the psychopath, the delusionally insane, and the depressed. In serial killing, the motivation falls into the category of psychopaths. The psychology of these people are generally that they simply enjoy killing or feel a need to kill, which is why they murder so many people. According to the article, they state that “They seem to be born with no capacity for empathy,... ... middle of paper ... ...ks Cited Cullen, Dave. “What a Killer Thinks.” Newsweek6 August 2012: 1. Print. King, Stephen. “Why We Crave Horror Stories.” Models For Writers. Ed. Denise B. Wydra, Karen S. Henry, Marcia Cohen, Elise S. Kaiser, Shuli Traub. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 504-507. Print. Leung, Julietta. "The Personality Profile of a Serial Killer." bxscience.edu. N.p., 24 May 2004. Web. 21 June 2014. Pemment, Jack. "What Would We Find Wrong in the Brain of a Serial Killer? | Psychology Today." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. Psychology Today, 5 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 June 2014. Scott, Shirley L. "Childhood Events — What Makes Serial Killers Tick? - The Crime Library —Crime Library." Crime Library – Crime News and Stories. Turner Entertainment Networks, n.d. Web. 20 June 2014. Spence, Sean. “Bad or Mad?.” New Scientist 20 March 2004: 1. Print.

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