Psychological Phenomena (Halloween Edition)
Cue Bernard Herrmann’s “Psycho” theme…
Halloween often sparks curiosity about the mind, blending fear, fascination, and mystery. Around this time, pop culture and real mental health issues overlap. The “madness” in movies can mirror true psychological experiences, though in more subtle, human ways. Exploring psychopathy, psychosis, emotional lability, and the history of lobotomy, we see links between terror, change, and healing.
Psychopathy and Psychosis
Psychopathy is a set of traits that includes an absence of empathy, shallow emotions, and sometimes criminal behavior (Larsen et al., 2024, pp. 115-133). Malignant narcissism shares some of these traits and can worsen harmful relationship patterns (Malignant narcissism, 2024).
Psychosis is different. It means losing touch with reality, often through delusions (firmly held false beliefs) or hallucinations (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there). While psychopathy is about personality traits, psychosis changes how someone sees and understands the world.
For example:
With psychosis, telling apart your thoughts from what is happening around you becomes difficult. Someone may lose touch with reality or feel influenced by outside forces. This leads to a split in the experience of self and others.
In psychopathy, relationships feel distant. People with these traits may see others as objects rather than individuals with needs. This emotional distance often begins with early experiences that lacked safety, empathy, or steady care.
Both psychosis and psychopathy reveal how early relationship wounds shape the mind. Healing typically involves rebuilding connections—regaining trust, wholeness, and caring for oneself and others.
The term "schizophrenia" is derived from the Greek roots "schizo," which means "split," and "phren," which means "mind." (SCHIZOPHRENIA Definition & Meaning, 2026) Despite common misconceptions, schizophrenia does not refer to "split personality." Schizophrenia describes a disconnection or fragmentation in a person's thoughts, feelings, and experiences of reality. (Schizophrenia - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), n.d.)
This fragmentation can make it hard for people to manage daily tasks, tell what is real, control their emotions, and keep steady relationships or a stable sense of self.
When we are young, people often say the brain is more flexible. This idea, known as the Kennard Principle, means it is easier to learn new things or recover from problems early in life. (Finger & Wolf, 1988) But this does not apply to every part of development. Children can learn language or skills quickly, but early emotional and relationship experiences can leave deep, lasting marks. If early relationships are inconsistent, neglectful, or traumatic, they can affect how someone relates to themselves and others, sometimes in painful ways.
Object relations theory explains that our earliest relationships with parents or other caregivers become inner "templates" for how we see and interact with the world. These early experiences shape identity, empathy, and trust—and disruption can lead to various outcomes (Contemporary Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Evolving Clinical Practice, 2019).
Lability
Emotional lability means rapid, unpredictable emotional changes. This can include uncontrollable laughing or crying, often caused by problems in the brain. (Osborn, 2023) For example, pseudobulbar affect happens when there is a disconnect between the frontal cortex (the brain’s decision and emotion center) and the cerebellum (which coordinates movement and regulates responses). (Ahmed & Simmons, 2013, pp. 483-489) Trauma can also have a role, leaving people with emotional reactions that don't match how they really feel inside, as in Joaquin Phoenix's Joker.
In other words, a person may recall or describe a distressing event in great detail, but without showing or feeling the emotion that would typically accompany it. The thought is remembered, but the feeling is “walled off.”
For example, someone might calmly describe a traumatic loss or frightening experience. This does not mean they do not care. Their minds have learned to separate emotions to cope, which helps them function and prevents them from being overwhelmed by painful feelings.
From a psychodynamic view, isolation of affect (separating feelings from thoughts or memories) often develops as a way to protect oneself in situations where showing emotions seems unsafe or too much to handle. While this defense can help for a while, it may later make it hard to handle emotions and build close relationships. The person might feel “flat,” cut off from their feelings, or have trouble connecting with others emotionally, even if they know what they are supposed to feel.
In therapy, noticing isolation of affect is a step toward reuniting feelings and thoughts. This can help someone gradually reconnect with emotions. As awareness grows, they can feel more real, engaged, and emotionally present.
The Dark Triad is a well-known idea in personality psychology. It describes three related personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, which are linked to manipulation, a lack of empathy (not being able to relate to others’ feelings), and self-interest.
Narcissism involves grandiosity, entitlement, and a need for validation. Narcissistic people often have an inflated sense of self and seek validation from others, but may feel deeply insecure and have fragile self-esteem, reacting defensively or aggressively if challenged.
Machiavellianism, named after Niccolò Machiavelli, is a personality trait characterized by strategic manipulation (using others to achieve personal goals), lying, and the use of others for advantage. People high on the Machiavellianism scale are often calculating, practical, and emotionally detached. They usually see relationships as a way to get ahead and are skilled at managing impressions and subtle manipulation.
Psychology and philosophy often overlap. Nietzsche’s use of aphorisms—short, powerful statements—can be akin to the insights offered by therapy. It is worth asking if our reactions fit the situation. Are our feelings or actions in proportion to what is happening? Can we relate to this way of thinking?
Psychopathy (Defined by impulsivity, callousness, and a lack of remorse or empathy)
Psychopathy is linked to shallow emotions, thrill-seeking behavior, and ignoring social norms.
Clinical psychopathy, which appears in forensic (legal or criminal) or antisocial personality disorder cases, is very serious. But milder or “subclinical” (not meeting full diagnosis criteria) psychopathy can show up as coldness or a lack of moral concern in daily life. Savant syndrome is a rare condition found in about 1 in 1,000 people. (Rudziński et al., 2024) It can lead to amazing abilities in art, music, or math, even if the person has other cognitive (thinking or reasoning) challenges. Autism spectrum disorder refers to a wide range of neurodevelopmental experiences, from mild trouble with flexibility and self-soothing to a strong need for routine and a stable environment.
Borderline Personality Organization
Borderline personality presentations sit between neurotic (anxious but in touch with reality) and psychotic (losing touch with reality) symptoms. People may have intense anxiety, which is a neurotic feature, but they can also sometimes have changes in how they see reality, which is a psychotic feature. Hypnagogic hallucinations (seeing or hearing things just before sleep) and hypnopompic hallucinations (just after waking) bring to mind the brain's shifting boundaries between being awake and dreaming.
Other unusual sensory sensations, like formication—the feeling of insects crawling on the skin, sometimes linked to stimulant drug use—show how our senses can get confused. Studies on sensory deprivation (lack of normal sensory input) also show how much the mind depends on environmental input to remain stable.
Sundowning
Phenomena like sundowning—confusion and agitation that worsen in the late afternoon or evening, often seen in dementia (serious memory and thinking problems)—show how biological rhythms (natural cycles like sleep-wake) and thinking and behavior are closely connected.
The term "lunatic" derives from the Latin "lunaticus," meaning "moonstruck" or "of the moon." It first appeared in Middle English around the 13th century, having been derived from Old French ("lunatique") and Latin ("lunaticus"). (Lunatic - Etymology, Origin & Meaning, n.d.) In ancient and medieval times, it was commonly believed that the phases of the moon influenced human behavior, especially affecting mental and emotional stability. (Albers, 2022)
In ancient medicine, especially in Hippocratic and Galenic traditions, mental problems were sometimes blamed on the moon’s pull and light affecting the brain, body fluids, or “humors.” (Kalachanis & Kalachanis, 2020, pp. 33-37)
Since the moon controls the tides, people once thought it could also affect the human mind, leading to episodes of madness, seizures, or hysteria. (Raison et al., 1999, pp. 99-106)
Today, the word “lunatic” is seen as outdated and stigmatizing, and is only used in history or as a metaphor. Moving away from this term shows how our knowledge of mental illness has shifted from supernatural or moral ideas to more scientific and compassionate views.
The Mirror of Madness: How Our Understanding of the Mind Has Evolved
Throughout history, people have tried to understand and ease mental and emotional suffering. Before psychology and neuroscience, early cultures explained distress with spiritual or physical ideas. For example, practices like trepanation—drilling holes in the skull to "release evil spirits"—and lobotomies in the 20th century were once seen as breakthroughs. Later, these were understood as tragic mistakes about the brain's complexity. (Rogers, 2024) Even though these early treatments were misguided, they showed a strong desire to heal and an increasing awareness of the close connection between the mind and the brain.
In medicine, a pathognomonic sign is a clear marker that definitively indicates a disease, such as a brain lesion that proves the presence of a tumor. Physical illnesses can often be measured and diagnosed with clear evidence. Psychology, however, is much more complex. Our emotions, behaviors, and personalities are affected by biology, relationships, environment, and personal meaning. Unlike a tumor that shows up on a scan, psychological suffering often does not have one clear cause. Feelings of detachment, for example, may come from trauma, avoidance, or individual temperament. Understanding the mind requires both scientific rigour and empathy—an openness to explore how biology, emotion, and experience all connect.
As we learn more, one thing remains true: healing the mind takes both science and a sense of humanity.
Amid fear and fascination, we see that what we call ‘madness’ has always functioned as a mirror. It shows us not only how fragile the mind can be, but also the disturbing pull of power, manipulation, and moral distance that can exist in everyone.
Happy Halloween x
