Cannibal Albert Fish

  

The life of cannibal Albert Fish was lacking an affectionate childhood after his father died and his mother left him at an orphanage. This wasn't the only factor that led him to become such a twisted and evil adult. His family had a history of mental illnesses, which could explain the biological point of view on his behavior. He appeared to be a common and caring grandfather. He would use this appearance to lure his victims and to gain their trust. Fish's interest in cannibalism first started after his wife of 20 years left him to raise their 6 children by himself. He would often serve his children raw meat for dinner every time there was a full moon. Albert Fish was caught after he sent a letter to the parents of a little girl explaining how he had killed, cooked, and eaten her. After authorities arrested him, he confessed to over 100 murders. This man was also a masochist who enjoyed sticking needles inside his body and leaving them inside. Fisher was sentenced to the electric chair and he seemed to be looking forward to it.

This video left me speechless after I watched it. Cannibalism has always been very hard for me to understand when a human isn't under severe circumstances. I wonder what causes the desire of human flesh. Could it be biological? Are humans instinctively cannibals in order to survive? is cannibalism accepted in other cultures?

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Three Ingredients

Looking for pet scans of serial killers, I came across this article that talked about the biology of the brain of a serial killers. It also answered one of psychology's most complex questions: nature or nurture?According to the information gathered by Jim Fallon, a neuroscientist at the University of California who studies serial killers, there are three components that are what we can call the ingredients to become a serial killer: certain "violent" or "aggressive" genes; damage in certain brain areas; and exposure to early childhood abuse or trauma. He was inspired to carry out this experiment after his mother told him there had been around 7 killers on the family's ancestors list. Studying closely his family's pet scans, Dr. Fallon discovered that out of all his family, he was the one that had the "brain of a serial killer."  His scans showed no activity in the orbital cortex, which  is involved in social adjustment, aggression and impulsivity. The temporal lobe which is involved in the processing and memory of emotional reactions, was also lacking activity in Dr. Fallon brain. Most people use these two areas in their brains when making decisions. This explains why he might not have much emotional engagement. Dr. Fallon also found that he carried most of the genes linked to violence and aggression. The only missing ingredient in his case was the traumatic childhood.   The examination that Dr. Fallon made answered a question I had been asking myself: are humans born serial killers? Or do they become serial killers through life experiences? The collaboration of nature and nurture are what produce a serial killer. In Fallon's case, his nature was that of a emotionally disengaged criminal mind, but his nurture overcame these genetic and biological factors. Does this showcase that nurture overcomes nature? Which is more important, nature or nurture? Are most serial killers affected by life experiences or by biological imbalances and genes?  Naik, G.. "Whatyyys on jim fallonyyys mind? a family secret that has been murder to figure out." . N.p., 2009. Web. 15 Apr 2012. xxxlt;http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125745788725531839.htmlxxxgt;.