That is a very interesting and profound question that has serious implications for our legal system. I can talk about it at length, but briefly: - they've discovered that certain (treatable) mental afflictions can result in violent behaviour - certain mental afflictions can trigger sexual desires where none existed before - diet is correlated with violent behaviour - certain parasites can control host behaviour I'm reminded about the story about Charles Whitman. A few days before his shooting spree he typed this letter: I don't quite understand what it is that compels me to type this letter.... > I don't really understand myself these days... Lately I have been a victim > of many unusual and irrational thoughts. These thoughts constantly recur, > and it requires a tremendous mental effort to concentrate. I consulted Dr. > Cochrum at the University Health Center and asked him to recommend someone > that I could consult with about some psychiatric disorders I felt I had.... > I talked to a doctor once for about two hours and tried to convey to him my > fears that I felt overcome by overwhelming violent impulses. After one > session I never saw the Doctor again, and since then I have been fighting > my mental turmoil alone, and seemingly to no avail. After my death I wish > that an autopsy would be performed to see if there is any visible physical > disorder. I have had tremendous headaches in the past and have consumed two > large bottles of Excedrin in the past three months. > http://brainmind.com/Amygdala44.html After his autopsy the discovered a tumour that was pressing against his amygdala. Then there's stuff like this: > The sudden and uncontrollable paedophilia exhibited by a 40-year-old man > was caused by an egg-sized brain tumour, his doctors have told a scientific > conference. And once the tumour had been removed, his sex-obsession > disappeared. > http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2943-brain-tumour-causes-uncontrollable-paedophilia.html On Wed, Jun 11, 2014 at 3:45 PM, Nicholas Robertson-Muir <nicmuir@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Ja, sad bru. > > It would be interesting to see what makes a criminal mind go from just > fantasy to reality. > Then there could be some way to prevent it. >