Blog of Andreas Eschenbacher

Self-Deception and the Riddle of Confabulation The brain is capable of employing a wide range of checking procedures. This is to ensure that the owner of the brain can act intelligently with the environment and survive. Hirstein lists the following checking procedures that the brain is capable of: Checking against one’s autobiographical memory, factual knowledge, body representation, and internal contradictions. Checking the correctness of the current visual images. Checking of the effect that current thoughts might have on another person and observing the other person (mind-reading). This also includes checking the consequences and reward value of the current thoughts. Evaluating the level of confidence a person has in these thoughts and developing intentions to act on them   Confabulation may result from a failure of one/some of these domains. Religious people may admit that their belief in God might be ill-grounded but nevertheless hold true to their belief because

Self-Deception and the Riddle of Confabulation One important aspect is what is called reduced inhibition (or disinhibition) People usually inhibit actions caused by certain brain/mind states because they might be socially or otherwise unacceptable. For example, they may not show anger or not use strong language. People with disinhibited feelings will let impulses act out (no mental filtering function). A sociopath has no inhibition and tells lies with great ease and confidence. Language is their main weapon. Sociopathy can be caused by damages of certain brain areas (like orbitofrontal cortex). Such brain conditions may also lead to confabulation since truth-checking mechanisms are defect or greatly weakened (disinhibited). Sociopaths have a need for excitement and may engage in extremely risky behaviors. Sociopaths can be easily made to think that you believe them – since they seem to lack mind-reading abilities. Sociopaths tend to engage in shallow lying and they tend

Self-Deception and the Riddle of Confabulation It is interesting that also normal people confabulate (quite often) e.g.   giving ad-hoc explanations about   personal experiences that actually never happened, or give unwarranted answers to questions they think they are supposed to know (in order to cover up deficits in knowledge). Children may respond with made-up stories when pressed for answers (provoked confabulation). For example, a film was shown to a group of children, then they were asked why this event (as shown in the movie) happened (although it wasn’t shown). The children responded with several explanations why this or that happened – since they were provoked to provide explanations. When they were asked again about the movie sometime later, some children already had incorporated this pseudo-event as a fact (false memory). So, they do not lie, but merely (unknowingly) confabulate. People were presented several cloths (that actually were made of the same material/fabri

Self-Deception and the Riddle of Confabulation As already mentioned in an earlier blog, I came across the book titled ‘Brain Fiction - Self-Deception and the Riddle of Confabulation’ -   by William Hirstein (2006). Hirstein is a philosopher exploring neurological syndromes that may lead to a variety of strange behaviors, like confabulation (i.e. giving ill-grounded explanations of an event or happening), deficit of self-awareness leading to a wrongful representation of one’s own body condition (termed anosognosia), or a delusion that friends or family members have been replaced by an impostor (Capgras delusion). But it also deals with other subjects like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD), Hypochondria, Sociopathy, and the difference between delusion-induced confabulation, self-delusion and (deep or shallow) lying. Now, I would like to deal a little more on this interesting subject (with some repetitions of the earlier blog). The book is very fascinating to me (although far f

PTED Practice of Healing All this may lead to a new perspective and approach to life. A non-embittered person may start practicing one (or some) of the following steps: 1.        I do not blame ‘blind fate’ for what happened (e.g. in case of earthquakes and the like) 2.        I try to understand what motifs an aggressor had and why it came to happen 3.        I cease to feel resentment and hate against another person 4.        I grant pardon to an aggressor and tell them so 5.        I agree that an aggressor should not be punished or overly penalized 6.        I accept full reconciliation with the aggressor 7.        I will not indulge in negative events and try to emotionally unload them Now, I have to confess that this is not at all easy and it may take a long time to just practice one to these steps. Also, these steps may not apply to all forms of embitterment.  For me, steps 2) and 7) are the ones I mostly adhere to. But there is one more, namely to understand why I w

Wisdom Therapy In order to remedy an embitterment disorder, Linden and others suggest what is called Wisdom Therapy (or Salutotherapy). It involves many concepts that should be suited to help people with PTED disorder. The Wisdom Therapy invites a person to rethink the events (re-framing) and put them in a larger context since this is the best way to solve ‘unsolvable’ problems. The methods are as follows: Viewing the world ·        It is good to understand that there are general and specific facts and problems in our world that may be solved by certain methods and that a wrong approach will not help ·        It should be acknowledged that life is always embedded in a mesh of circumstances and external influences. Life is ‘uncertain’ by default ·        It is helpful to understand that people of different cultures and belief systems hold true to different values and norms and that each person should be assessed in regard to their own value system. Viewing other people ·  

Religious embitterment As you can imagine this is quite a sensitive topic. Consider a person who grows up in a sect - meaning any assembly of people where certain (severe) methods of indoctrination are applied and critical thinking heavily restricted or even banned.  It may even be that a ‘member’ or follower of such a sect is unaware of what is going on and may even feel protected in a (pseudo-)safe environment. Let’s assume that one day (most likely after a long ordeal) such a follower breaks free and starts a new life under their own control.  Will this person feel any embitterment about the experienced manipulation, psychological deformation and loss of valuable life time? Will they be ashamed about having been that stupid to have spent such a long time in this sect? Why haven’t they escaped earlier? Was it self-complacency?  Why has God allowed to become trapped for such a long time and so badly misled? Why was there no (heavenly) protection? How is it possible that religious le

Embitterment prone personalities show a lower threshold of getting that disorder. They suffer heavily from having been treated unjustly. Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder can affect people whose lives has been affected by a single event in a drastically unfortunate way. Complex Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder can be caused by several catastrophic life events are as a result of many micro-embitterments Of course, the Embitterment Topic is quite complex and has many facets. For a better understanding, I have to refer to Michael Linden‘s book (Verbitterung und Posttraumatische Verbitterungsstörung, hogrefe Verlag, 1. Auflage 2017) and his public video presentations.

Hard working Mr. S.* Mr. S. was working for a big company. He was very much focused on his job and was rewarded a higher position. The next task was quite difficult and forced him to work day and night. He knew that a positive outcome was not for certain and so he continued working overtime but the situation turned critical (his boss played a role in this).  Then he was called in by his boss who told him that if he was unable to manage the situation, he may better get a real’ manager. Mr. S. reacted with immediate anxiety and dissociated. He left the building but had to call his wife to pick him up because he couldn’t even drive anymore. He stopped going to work and got heavily embittered.  Soon afterwards, Mr. S. started to file law suits against his company and in the effort of doing so consumed up his property and that of his grandmother (all this to no avail). He even planned to set fire on the building and commit suicide thereafter in order to show the world that he was treated ve

Wife and unfaithful husband* A woman married for 15 years puts priority on the relationship with her husband and their family (they have children) so that he can climb up the career ladder in his company. She helps him to manage challenges and assists him as good as she can and sacrifices her own development.  Then one day, by accident, she found a letter written by her husband to a younger colleague that made explicit reference to a fulfilling sexual relationship with her. In this moment, the wife’s whole world tumbled down and she was filled with very strong anger, shame (I did it wrong) and (long-lasting) embitterment.  She is very much inclined to inflict much harm on him (retaliation), even if these actions were to destroy her own life. Humiliation of a Correctional Officer* A woman worked as correctional officer in a prison for men. She was proud that she could ‘stand her man’.  One day, a prisoner tugged her into his cell and kept her there for some time. She was not overly conc

Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder (PTED)    describes am adjustment disorder caused by a pathological reaction to drastic life events. The term PTED was coined by Michael Linden. A Posttraumatic Embitterment Disorder can be linked to the ICD-10: F43.8 code. ICD-10 stands for the 10 th release of the International Classification of Diseases.  The forthcoming ICD-11 gives under the section 6B43 Adjustment Disorder the following description: Adjustment disorder is a maladaptive reaction to an identifiable psychosocial stressor or multiple stressors (e.g., divorce, illness or disability, socio-economic problems, conflicts at home or work) that usually emerges within a month of the stressor.   The disorder is characterized by preoccupation with the stressor or its consequences, including excessive worry, recurrent and distressing thoughts about the stressor, or constant rumination about its implications, as well as by failure to adapt to the stressor that causes significant impairme

OH NO , why do we have to see Some of them still on TV Sporting their designer clothes That allow them there to pose As special agents from the Lord Equipped with heaven’s finest sword Anointed with the gift of talk Persuading everyone to walk According to their revelation For this ensures a quick salvation If fostered with the right amount Of money to their church’s account Which will be used to further grow Their super-holy magic show Where they perform their cunning tricks To a blinded audience that sticks With them because it wants to feel The magic of their sex appeal Enriched with super-human power That even makes the demons cower And brings to life what once was dead Because of all the words they said For everything they do is true Though no one has the faintest clue   OH NO, there seems to be no cure Against their super-Christian lure That tastes so very nice and tender But means a full and hard surrender Of will and lif

Susanna desperately wanted to break free, but couldn’t; she was still heavily entangled in that almost unbreakable mesh of religious fundamentalism and enticing church practice. For sure, she was embittered about her former life (which made her aggressive), and yet she was longing for love and acceptance by her former congregation. She, the once highly-respected daughter of Sintemalen. Then, Susanna met right next door her almost-fiancée, now (unhappily) married to one of her former girl-friends. He wanted to become an Evangelist (calling of God) but finally had to settle with becoming a missionary (also the calling of God). It seemed that they were destined to marry. He, the respected church man, and she, Sintemalen’s daughter. However, it never came to happen (probably also God’s calling, but most likely more due to the ambiguous dealings of men). It happened right during a Christmas church service that she attended in order to understand where she stood and to satisfy some of he

As already mentioned, Susanna grew up   in that very strict family and due to her father’s position in church, this made her stand out as privileged daughter of one of the strictest and most dedicated religious leaders. She was feared and loved by her peers. Yes, she was Sintemalen’s daughter. On the one hand, Susanna was very fond of the various church services, especially when on certain occasions hundreds of pious believers expressed their commitment to Jesus/God in deeply emotional singing and praying, joint meals (like good-smelling peppermint tea, self-baked bread and marvelous   Suisse cheese for in-between meals, or a healthy stew). She very much loved that atmosphere of holiness, sincerity and unreserved commitment. On the other hand, she loathed these gatherings as she knew much about the inner dealings of the leadership. She had experienced the rigorous enforcement of religious beliefs and the demanding and psychosocially debilitating set of rules. Finally, after a lon

Their church strictness came in two categories: DON’T DO THIS and DO THIS DON’T DO THIS Do not cut or dye your hair if you are a girl/woman, do not wear long hair if you are a boy/men, don’t visit a hairdresser, don’t wear nylons or pants if you are a women, do not smoke, do not drink alcoholic beverages, do not dance, do not listen to ‘worldly’ music (since satanic), do not attend bars and taverns, do not ask for medical help (unless in severe cases or accidents - since God helps through prayer), do not engage in sex-opposite boy/girl-friendships, stay away from physical education at school (gymnastics, swimming, since you would see half-naked girls/boys), do not have premarital sex, do not have sex just for reasons of pleasure (only for procreation), do not listen to radio and do not watch TV, do not take any contraceptives, do not attend church services other than those of your own community, do not become wealthy, do not wear jewelry, do not strive for higher education, do not

Now, I would like turn to the book ‘Sintemalen’, written by Elisabeth Altenweger in German language. It is a disturbingly painful book since it describes the intricacies and psychological distortions of a former member of a very strict fundamentalist religious group called (at that times) Evangelischer Brüderverein (something like: Evangelical Brotherhood Congregation), although women played a role as missionaries and for church social work.  The book falls under the category fiction, but it seems to be a very accurate description of what actually happened within that community and how much damage was inflicted on the narrator Susanna. She is a book editor and lives together with her partner Till in a small town in Switzerland. Till works for a book publishing company and is non-religious.   They have two children, the very (almost excessively) religious Ilona (about 17)) and the 13 year old life-enjoying, non-religious Leoni. Susanne smokes a lot. She was born into a family whose