Amygdala is one area under study - That’s your lizard brain (meaning it is part of the brain found in lower life forms)
I also read somewhere the pre frontal cortex could be involved.
Look up Adrain Raine - he’s one researcher who’s done a lot of work in this area
Hi KosmicKitty,
I googled up Reptile brain and got to the Wiki article “Triune Brain.” According to that article, the amygdala is in the “paleomamallian” portion,the ‘lymbic system’— responsible for emotional attachment and child-rearing. The reptile brain is called the ‘basal ganglia’ and is mainly associated with organ function, but also territorial imperative and aggression.
The pre-frontal cortex is associated with impulse control and calculations. Many criminals meet this description, but not all.
The model is simplistic, but when I think of psychopaths, cold, calculating and decisive. In other words, a smart reptile.
Like I say, I had to look all this up. I first picked it up in a book by Carl Sagan who made it fashionable— late ‘70’s I think.
I don’t think this is describes ‘bam very well. I don’t think a true psychopath would have made his mistakes; a psycho would pragmatically decide “this ain’t working,” and changed course. I think the seat of ‘bam’s illness is emotional— implying he has it.
Finally: ‘bam’s illness is commonplace and describes all liberals; they can’t change their minds. They’re impervious to their own experience. Deep down, they fear being wrong most of all, such a thing would cause their soul to collapse and disintegrate. We have entire generations of such people.