What makes an individual want to give up their life for some "greater" cause? When one looks this self destructive act one is left feeling completely dumbfounded about what motivates it. Here I would like to offer a perspective that may begin to explain one of the root causes of this phenomenon. It is my view that some of the basic core human values that we all share as human beings are the desire for joy, inner peace, harmony, health, abundance, global peace and a sense of fulfillment. These core values "resonate" as desirable with each of us at a deep level in the human heart. Now clearly, killing one's self and others, is not in anyway aligned with the values I mentioned above. It is the exact antithesis of these values. So why is it that such acts can exist at all? Well simply said it is because many individuals have actually lost a connection to the feelings that reflect their basic human core values and that emerge from their hearts. In other words they are not able to fully feel their hearts. If one could feel one's heart while contemplating the thought of say suicide or murder I am certain that they would feel deep sadness and emotional pain at the heart level. These feelings simply reflect the heart's reaction to the acts themselves. Such emotional pain at the heart level is the heart's way of telling that individual that such acts are a) not aligned with that individual's core human values and b) are toxic to that individual. Yet such phenomena continue to occur at an alarming rate. What is causing individuals to lose this important, and essentially life sustaining connection to thier hearts? In a simple word it the cumulative trauma sustained by such individuals over the course of their lives. When an individual experiences trauma they have imprinted in their bodies all of the emotional pain that becomes associated with such experiences and this goes deep into their cells. In order to go on functioning daily the pain associated with the memories of such trauma must be kept unconscious or out of awareness. In order to accomplish this the individual finds themselves shutting off "all" their feelings, including the feelings that emerge from their hearts. This "shutting down" of one's feelings comes at a great price. This is because the feelings that emerge from the heart are more than just feelings; they are essential guiding principles that are meant to keep an individual on course to their own personal success. When this key wisdom is shut down the individual is left feeling lost, confused, desperate, vulnerable and in need of assistance to sustain themselves. In such a "needy" state they become vulnerable to buying into "external help" that is supposedly in their best interests. They are however unable at this point to gauge the benefits/risks of the "external help" they receive because in order to do so they must have access to the very feelings that reflect their own core values. Those values represent the "measuring stick" that tells the individual what is good and what is not good for them. Without this measuring stick there is no way to know what "is" or "is not" good for them. Hence they are extremely vulnerable to being lied to by those who are supposedly attempting to "help" them. When lies are so entrenched that one can no longer distinguish one's personal truth (i.e. what is right for the individual) from the lies then it can be said that that individual is prone to falling prey to delusional thinking. This is also seen in individuals who suffer from delusional psychoses. In my view this also explains the self destructive behaviors of suicide bombers. So in conclusion it is my view that this problem stems largely from the cumulative and severe trauma that such individuals experience during their lives. Such trauma is often the result of torture, experiences of war, abuse etc. In this regard this problem is actaully a "clinical" issue and not simply a military one. |
