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Fame, isolation and terror: inside the mind of a lone mass killer

All In The Mind

5 DAYS AGO
All In The Mind

All In The Mind

5 DAYS AGO

Shownote

What is it that drives a person to mass murder? It's a question forensic psychiatrist Professor Paul Mullen has made a life's study of. While these devastating events can at times appear random — he says that taken together, from Port Arthur to Dunblane ...

Highlights

This episode explores the psychology of lone mass killers through the lens of forensic psychiatrist Professor Paul Mullen, who has dedicated his career to understanding what drives individuals to commit such devastating acts. The discussion delves into the motivations behind these events, the historical patterns that emerge, and the controversial strategy of denying perpetrators the fame they seek.
00:00
Deny them fame by not naming them.
03:20
Running amok was a form of suicide to restore prestige.
10:13
Depression, obsessiveness, grandiosity, resentment, and delusions of persecution.
20:24
Deny them the fame they seek.
27:07
Never name the perpetrators, only the victims.

Chapters

A Forensic Psychiatrist's First Encounter: The Aramoana Massacre and the Birth of a Lifelong Study
00:00
From 'Running Amok' to Modern Massacres: Tracing the History and Motivations of Lone Killers
03:20
The Turning Point: How the 1966 Texas Tower Shooting and Copycat Killers Shaped Modern Patterns
06:56
Lone Wolves vs. Terrorists: Understanding the Differences in Isolation, Resentment, and the Quest for Fame
13:24
Preventing the Next Attack: How Leaked Plans, Threat Assessment, and Denying Fame Can Save Lives
23:56

Transcript

Paul Mullen: ABC Listen. Podcasts, radio, news, music and more. When The Science Show began over 50 years ago, Australia was seen as a strange, leftover place. Sana Qadar: But local science transformed everything. Australia is full of treasures, from bird...