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The mind of suicide terrorists

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2017

Donatella Marazziti ,
Antonello Veltri  and
Armando Piccinni
Donatella Marazziti*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa Fondazione BRF Onlus – Institute for research in psychiatry and neuroscience, Lucca, Italy
Antonello Veltri
Affiliation:
Fondazione BRF Onlus – Institute for research in psychiatry and neuroscience, Lucca, Italy Dipartimento della Salute Mentale e Dipendenze, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Pisa, Italy
Armando Piccinni
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa Fondazione BRF Onlus – Institute for research in psychiatry and neuroscience, Lucca, Italy
*
*Address for correspondence: Donatella Marazziti, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy. (Email: dmarazzi@psico.med.unipi.it)
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Abstract

After reviewing the available literature about the main hypotheses on suicide terrorism and the psychological characteristics of terrorists that have been proposed throughout the years, the present authors have put forward some personal considerations on what the distinctive traits of today’s suicide bombers might be. In spite of the heterogeneity and paucity of “real” data, it is evident that there is no peculiar familial, educational, or socioeconomic factors that may account for religious radicalization leading to suicide terrorism. On the contrary, some common psychological features can be highlighted: such as isolation, feelings of emptiness, cold rationality, a lack of empathy, and a lust for martyrdom and death. To die to kill: this is the core feature, a sort of organizer that can twist higher cognitive and emotional processes, resulting in the supreme and highly rewarding suicidal and killing behaviors.

Keywords

Terrorismsuicide bomberspsychopathologypsychological theories
Type
Review Articles
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 23 , Special Issue 2: Evil, psychiatry, and terrorism: understanding the roots of evil , April 2018 , pp. 145 - 150
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

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