Summary of Niels Birbaumer: Neurobiologie des Bösen

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

In this YouTube video, Dr. Niels Birbaumer discusses the neurobiology of evil and its implications for understanding criminal behavior. He explores various factors that contribute to violent actions, including determinism, traumatic experiences, social privilege, and genetic predisposition. Birbaumer emphasizes the importance of studying the interplay between biographical factors, such as hormones, genetics, environment, and social support, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of criminal behavior. He also discusses the potential for rehabilitation and intervention strategies to address and prevent criminal actions in individuals. Overall, Birbaumer highlights the role of brain science in deepening our understanding of the root causes of violent behavior.

• 00:00:00 In this section, Dr. Niels Birbaumer discusses the role of brain science in understanding and explaining violent behavior. He argues that while people often believe that morality, revenge, and free will play a major role in criminal behavior, the truth is that determinism plays the central role. He also highlights the contribution of brain science to understanding the underlying causes of violent behavior, such as trauma, and I believe that brain science can help us better understand the root causes of violent behavior.
• 00:05:00 In this section, Niels Birbaumer discusses experiments on antiphrenesia. He explains that experiments were conducted on participants who failed to respond to memory and arithmetic tasks, while they were subjected to increasing levels of electric shocks. These shock levels were capped at a level that was fatal if participants were too slow. The point was to encourage participants to continue the task even if they risked their lives. He explains that the type of shock was not the main variable. The essential variable was whether an electroshock was given, and a row of punishments were administered until the topic branched out. The results of the experiments showed that approximately 60-70% of participants died irrespective of their age and nationality, and for the same minimum incorrect response, indicating that the shocks were lethal. Birbaumer notes that this is in line with conventional punishments for murder and has led to systemic results on how understanding leads to overestimation of power. He believes that the onus of violence is often attributed to authority and that men who are highly respected and love by those whom they dominate steal psychological licence to use brutal force against women. In his study, he found no intersexual differences between the participants, no rational differences between subjected and supposed subjecting, and no psychologic differences among the participants. He notes that few researchers have ever realised that increased punishment has led to previously undiscovered findings, which are both logically and ethically sound. Birbaumer concludes that many questions can be asked using electric shocks. In his view, in some culture, like Japan, electric shocks are used for torture, while for homosexuals, it is a natural phenomenon.
• 00:10:00 In this section of the video, Niels Birbaumer discusses the cultural phenomenon of young men committing crimes and acting recklessly as a result of the privilege they have been given due to their gender and physical strength. According to Birbaumer, when the conversation revolves around the reaction of victims, the young men's brain regions become activated, which can lead to on-site reactions and can change the way they are perceived by others. The brain regions that show strong reactions in such situations are not well-known, but research has found that these regions are connected to the feeling of guilt, shame, and moral inferiority. In contrast, the brain regions of the violent young men studied in this experiment remained quite stable and were not affected by the conversation. The active brain regions differed significantly from those who reported feeling guilty or shame over their actions. When studied closely, the brain region of the latter showed traces of deeper brain structures, which were much less active than those of the violent young men. The intense fear in the young men was caused by moral judgment at a psychological level, which is supported by the fact that their brain regions were not activated during or after the conversation. Overall, the study suggests that the phenomenon of young men's reckless or violent behavior may be related to their privilege, feeling invincible, and the inability to empathize with others, which contributes to the emergence of psychopathy.
• 00:15:00 In this section, the video discusses the topic of neurobiology of evil, specifically in situations where fear is anticipatory. The speaker suggests that emotion plays a crucial role in such situations and that emotional anticipation is a defining characteristic of the type of crime committed by individuals with a history of robbery. According to the speaker, individuals who commit such crimes experience an emotional void in the emotional range, and this deficiency can be identified through measurements such as the sympathiescale. The speaker highlights the example of the novel "The man without qualities" by Robert Musil, in which the protagonist with an emotional deficit is unable to comprehend criminality, despite his interest in it. The speaker also touches upon the concept of risk factors involved in criminality, with a lack of antikatholical fear being one of the key risks associated with it.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video, Niels Birbaumer discusses the role of biographical factors in criminal behavior. He mentions several factors such as hormones, genetics, and environment. Genetic factors particularly interest him as they can interact with the brain and contribute to criminal behavior. He also discusses the role of alcohol and substance abuse, as well as social and environmental factors, such as poverty and lifestyle choices. Overall, Birbaumer emphasizes the importance of understanding the complex interplay between these factors and how they can contribute to criminal behavior.
• 00:25:00 in this section, the speaker discusses the research on the relationship between genetics, social environment, and cognitive development in psychopaths, with a particular focus on the effects of poor diet and lack of social support. The speaker argues that hyperactivity during the early years of life is a key predictor of future criminal behavior, and that intervention during this time can help prevent it. However, he also notes that identifying these risk factors and developing effective interventions is a complex and challenging task that requires collaboration across multiple disciplines. Despite these challenges, the speaker is optimistic that with continued research and development of new interventions, it may be possible to identify and address the underlying causes of criminal behavior in young people.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the YouTube video, Niels Birbaumer discusses the concept of neurobiology of evil and how certain situations and reactions can lead to a fear and flight response, even in a situation that is not as dangerous. He explains that certain regions of the brain, such as the thalamus, are responsible for analyzing what is happening unconsciously. This analysis can lead to a fear response, but it is not necessarily conscious. Birbaumer suggests that this type of unconscious fear reaction is more common in individuals with a past criminal history.
• 00:35:00 In this section, Niels Birbaumer discusses how the brain generates unconscious reflexes that can negatively affect defense mechanisms. The brain, influenced by visual cues, processes information with decreasing accuracy, causing the brain to receive signals before they can be processed properly. The information received by the brain is not processed correctly, resulting in the failure of the body's defense mechanism. The problem with this often arises when an individual is compromised by a critical incident such as a stroke, which damages the functioning of the regions responsible for processing visual cues. The neurological damage resulting from such an event can lead to the inability to process and respond to stimuli in a conscious manner.
• 00:40:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the role of social background in producing murderers. According to him, murderers are mainly from a bad social background and nothing can change this without addressing the underlying cause, citing an example of a young boy who did not experience fear when crossing the street, to contrast the situation of a murderer who experienced fear. He then proceeds to argue that the cause of feeling fear or aggression is due to areas within the brain and it is linked to how cognitive and kognitive abilities are developed, which might be incomplete or not developed enough in children who grow up to commit crimes, resulting in them not recognizing fear and aggression.
• 00:45:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the neurobiology of evil and the role of the brain in criminal behavior. They mention that fixing the brain structure and function is a clear answer, as observed when parts of the brain shrink or are damaged, and observing those changes can reveal important information about a person's criminal behavior. They also mention studies on reversible castration and its effect on sexual offenders, as well as the link between fury and grammar skills in psychopaths. The speaker concludes by stating that rehabilitation is possible and that it is important to focus on preemptive measures through prevention to reduce the risk of criminal behavior.
• 00:50:00 In this section, Niels Birbaumer discusses the use of rehabilitation techniques to improve the behavior of aggressive individuals. He explains that rehabilitation can be more effective when it is combined with neurobiological analysis, which can help identify specific areas of the brain that are associated with aggressive behavior. Birbaumer also mentions the possibility of rewarding individuals for exhibiting positive behavior during training, rather than simply punishing them for bad behavior. He acknowledges that it may take some time for these techniques to be effective, but that the potential rewards for both the individuals and society as a whole make it worth trying.
• 00:55:00 In this section, Niels Birbaumer discusses the neurobiology of evil, specifically the idea that there is a correlation between childhood traumas and criminal behavior. He mentions that as people age, their energy levels decline and they become more vulnerable to being taken advantage of, which can lead to criminal actions. He also discusses the fact that drugs can often be a contributing factor to criminal behavior. While there is no definitive answer to the question of why some people commit crimes, empirical research can provide insight into the factors that may contribute to such behavior. Additionally, Birbaumer notes that the idea of free will is an illusion, as our actions are largely determined by our genetic makeup and life experiences.