The Limits of Modern Psychology: Understanding Psychopathy Beyond Reductionism

Modern psychology offers insights into the depths of our primitive nature, yet approaches these ancient inclinations through a modern lens. While these instincts originate from the very beginnings of humankind and hold a timeless significance, modern psychology’s treatment often reduces them to scientific classifications. Though it provides valuable understanding, psychology has a tendency to lean into reductionism, overlooking the more nuanced, sensitive truths of our being.

The term "psychopath" originated in the early 19th century. It was first used by German and French physicians in the early 1800s, combining the Greek words "psyche" (meaning "soul" or "mind") and "pathos" (meaning "suffering" or "disease"). Initially, it was used in a general sense to describe mental disorders, rather than the specific meaning it has today.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the term evolved to describe individuals with specific personality traits, such as a lack of empathy, impulsivity, and antisocial behavior. In the 1940s, American psychiatrist Hervey Cleckley popularized the modern understanding of psychopathy with his influential book The Mask of Sanity, which detailed the behavioral characteristics of what we now recognize as psychopathic personalities.

Today, "psychopath" is commonly used to describe individuals with a specific subset of antisocial personality traits, though in clinical settings, Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) is the preferred term.

Let us first begin by looking into this business of Antisocial Personality Disorder and its characteristics.

The five traits for psychopathy are as follows:

• Lack of remorse: Serial killers often show little to no guilt or empathy.  
• Predatory behavior: Serial killers are often active in searching for victims.  
• Need for control: Serial killers may enjoy having complete control over their victims.  
• Impulsivity: Serial killers may act impulsively.  
• Sensation seeking: Serial killers may be motivated by a desire for thrills or psychological pleasure

Again the issue with modern psychology is that it informs you of the traits, but not the natures of the traits manifesting philosophies, this is where I find modern psychology fundamentally patronising, They reduce the significance of such knowledge down to something more simply compact, despite it not being at all.

Modern psychology often offers frameworks that, while descriptive, can feel reductive or detached from the unsettling nature of the human experience. For instance, the standard model of personality traits known as the "Big Five" (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism). While these categories capture observable behaviors, they risk framing complex inner lives as quantifiable metrics rather than as deeply rooted, evolving processes.

Contrast this with the philosophical approach of phenomenology, which explores the lived experience of traits—examining not only behaviors but how these traits are experienced subjectively, influenced by personal history, environment, and even our embodied relationship to the world. In phenomenological terms, a trait like “neuroticism” could be understood not just as a predisposition to anxiety but as an intricate interplay between an individual’s awareness of their own vulnerability and their existential confrontation with uncertainty and imitating change.

By translating experiences into static labels, psychology may unintentionally disregard the rich layers of meaning that make up a person’s inner world, treating aspects of identity as fixed attributes to be observed rather than as dynamic, multi-dimensional phenomena to be understood. This reduction can feel patronizing because it implies that profound questions about one’s existence—like the source of existential dread or the sense of alienation in modern life—can be adequately explained by personality scores or diagnostic criteria, thereby diminishing the depth of human experience to manageable units rather than engaging with the fullness of what it means to be human.

The Complex Role of Intelligence in Ed Kemper's Crimes and Confession

Ask yourself if you have experienced these very traits and sensations, the chances are that you have, and yet you do see yourself indifferent from the psychopath, you may assume your differences are so great and tied to empathy driven compassionate and loving modes of etherical situations when treating living creatures. I would argue, these are frontiers for deep feelings, feelings that daylight has helped masquerade for you, as we will take a look at later down the line.

These traits should not be seen as entirely isolating or securing in themselves; they are loose and adaptable, standing independently because everyday life does not demand specific traits, making it easy to hide these states in the busyness of our lives. Besides, who wants to confront these parts of themselves? We often spend our time convincing ourselves of our worth to loved ones, peers, and communities, while privately, something different and strange may manifest, shaped by our conscious contents and interactions.

But does this make you a psychopath or a potential serial killer? What, then, does? What separates dark human states from those that are repeatedly manifested and utilized by certain individuals?

Let us examine the serial killer Ed Kemper, drawing on various sources to evaluate his life.

Edmund Kemper is often noted for his high intelligence, with an IQ reportedly around 145–148. His intelligence played a significant role in his ability to manipulate situations and evade authorities for a time.

High IQ and Analytical Skills

Kemper’s high IQ allowed him to learn from his experiences and adapt his behavior to avoid detection. This analytical capability made him a more challenging criminal to catch, as he could strategize his actions and mask his intentions. His knowledge of police procedures, combined with his meticulous approach to his crimes, helped him evade suspicion for several years.

Early Interactions with Police

Kemper’s understanding of law enforcement began early. After he was released from Atascadero State Hospital at age 21 (following the murders of his grandparents when he was a teenager), he lived with his mother and sought to integrate himself into society. In an ironic twist, he often socialized at the Jury Room, a bar frequented by police officers in Santa Cruz, California. This allowed him to develop relationships with officers and gain insights into police practices, further fueling his understanding of how to avoid drawing attention.

Techniques of Deception

Kemper took deliberate steps to avoid suspicion. For instance:

• Body Disposal: He meticulously disposed of his victims’ remains, often driving them to isolated locations and burying or discarding body parts separately to hinder identification.
• Selective Targeting and Victim Selection: He targeted young women who were hitchhiking, knowing they were likely to be vulnerable and alone, reducing the risk of detection.

Kemper's intelligence and premeditation helped him remain undetected for several killings. However, despite his cunning, his need for control and his psychological struggles contributed to his eventual surrender.

His Downfall and Capture

Ultimately, it was not the police who caught Kemper; rather, he turned himself in. In April 1973, after murdering his mother and her friend, he called the police from Colorado to confess, feeling he had reached the end of his ability to continue hiding. The psychological toll of his actions and his complex relationship with his mother likely played roles in his decision to surrender, highlighting the limits of his intelligence when faced with his internal struggles.

In summary, while Kemper’s intelligence enabled him to evade law enforcement and blend into society for some time, it was his psychological turmoil and sense of guilt that led to his eventual confession. His case is often studied as an example of how high intelligence can sometimes work in favor of a criminal—but ultimately, it was his inner conflict that led to his downfall.

Unstable Beginnings: The Role of Kemper’s Childhood in Shaping His Violent Path

Let us now look into the childhood of Ed Kemper.

For the sake of inquiry, we’ll refer to multiple works that touch on this topic:

"Edmund Kemper, born on December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California, endured a challenging upbringing that profoundly influenced his later actions. His parents, Clarnell and Edmund Jr., had a tumultuous relationship, leading to their separation when Kemper was nine years old and divorce four years later. Following the divorce, Kemper moved with his mother and two sisters to Montana. His mother, Clarnell, was an alcoholic who reportedly suffered from borderline personality disorder. She frequently belittled and humiliated Kemper, often making him sleep in a locked basement due to fears he might harm his sisters." - GRUNGE MAGAZINE

We further can use the other sources of our research for the inquiry

"From a young age, Kemper exhibited disturbing behaviors. He decapitated his sisters' dolls and forced them to play macabre games like "Gas Chamber," where he would simulate being executed. At the age of 10, he buried the family cat alive, later exhuming and decapitating it. By 13, he killed another family cat with a machete, hiding its remains in his closet." - OXYGEN

All thats interesting magazine did a piece of Kemper's life and actions here's what they had to say.

"Seeking a better environment, Kemper ran away at 14 to live with his father in California. However, his father had remarried and eventually sent Kemper to live with his paternal grandparents in North Fork, California. Kemper described his grandmother as abusive and claimed she emasculated both him and his grandfather. This tension culminated on August 27, 1964, when 15-year-old Kemper shot and killed his grandmother during an argument. He then killed his grandfather upon his return, later stating he did so to prevent him from discovering his wife's death." - ALL THATS INTERESTING

Here is another extract of an article on his life and his outline in society. All of which are worth reading to get an understanding of his nature.

"Following these murders, Kemper was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and committed to Atascadero State Hospital. He was released at 21, with his juvenile records expunged, and returned to live with his mother. This period marked the beginning of his subsequent criminal activities." - RANKER MAGAZINE

It is clear that Kemper's early life, characterized by familial instability, emotional abuse, and early signs of violent behavior, played a significant role in shaping his later actions as a serial killer. He posited serious actions and behaviours all of which in hindsight is a clear observation to see how he would establish his merit as a horrific serial killer.

If we examine the divorce that occurred during his developmental years, we see a child suffering without parental intervention. This was compounded by his mother’s struggles with borderline personality disorder (BPD)—a condition that promotes unstable actions, often contradictory to the person’s sense of self and the fragmented versions they perceive themselves to be. People with BPD frequently endure profound dissociations of body, mind, and expression; they are fundamentally torn, split down the center in a way that disrupts their internal coherence.

It is not uncommon to find parallels between BPD and substance abuse, such as alcoholism or drug addiction. These substances often serve as a medium to alleviate the chaos of living with the disorder. Interestingly, addiction can act as a temporary balancing tool: when intoxicated, they may feel more whole, only to retreat into complete dissociation when sober, perpetuating a tragic cycle of instability.

Kemper’s mother, for instance, was entirely self-centered and reckless—not only in managing herself but also in raising her child. This created an environment devoid of emotional support, leaving Kemper isolated from any meaningful emotional experience. His world was one of profound disconnection, shaped by his mother’s inability to provide the stability and nurturing essential for healthy development.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and alcohol use disorder frequently co-occur, with research indicating that approximately 24% of individuals diagnosed with BPD also meet criteria for alcohol use disorder. This comorbidity is significant, as it can exacerbate the challenges associated with both conditions.

Moreover, studies have found that nearly 75% of individuals with BPD will experience a substance use disorder at some point in their lives, highlighting the strong association between BPD and substance misuse.

The co-occurrence of BPD and alcohol use disorder can lead to increased impulsivity, emotional instability, and a higher risk of self-destructive behaviors, including self-harm and suicide attempts. Therefore, integrated treatment approaches that address both BPD and substance use disorders are crucial for effective management and improved patient outcomes.- Link to article

We know that during their developmental years, a child is practically enslaved under the conscience of the parent. Their conscience becomes a collection of parental criticisms and the microcultures formed by family friends and family events. During these years, the child is encouraged to follow some version of their parents' morality—a morality that is, in essence, a microcosm of the parents' understanding of their cultural substrates, combined with the influences of their own upbringing and how they were raised.

It could be considered here that, if we are hypercritical of ourselves, there can often be a link drawn back to our childhood—a period under the governance of a local family structure where rules may have been tighter than necessary. Actions were questioned more frequently, and the relationships between family members might have been deranged or absurdly divisive, impacting future development. If we critically reflect on the voices of our conscience, we can uncover some truth within them; most of these criticisms originate from our upbringing—parents being critical of our behaviors, restricting certain elements of our expression, enforcing boundaries, and exhibiting poor emotional regulation.

On this thread, Kemper was in his preteen developmental stages with a mother who was both mentally ill and an alcoholic, and, by sheer speculation, possessed an attitude that was destitute and marked by a capacity for violence and aggression toward men. His mother appeared to be a crucial influence in the development of his violence and hatred. And rightly so— the role the mother plays in the human condition is crucial to our structure; it is an ethos in itself. The mother binds us to the earth, and through our biological wiring, we are inherently designed to be in thoughtful submission to our mother’s virtue.

When this bond disappears and the mother, in the eyes of the child, is seen as a villain at such a young age, it will inevitably provoke a disordered process of maturation. This disorder arises from the fact that the child is forced to confront the presentation of evil in such an essential figure. For Kemper, this enabled a premature and distorted maturation, forcing him into the realm of adult feelings—emotions that an adult might understand and be more equipped to process, but which were overwhelming and destabilizing for a child.

Early Manifestations of Dark Fantasies: Kemper's Path from Play to Reality

The unique aspect of this scenario is that Kemper exhibited very unusual behaviors early on. During the murders he later committed, these behaviors revealed a pathological interplay between his reality and his creative innocence. From decapitating his sisters' dolls, he appeared inclined to explore a fascination with removing the centerpiece of a human’s most significant body part. If we assume he understood that the head contained the brain and face—two of the most crucial elements of a person’s existence—his act of removing them from dolls demonstrated a desire to symbolically remove the essence of a human. Although murder would ultimately achieve this, it was during these early episodes of creative play and instinctual violence that his fantasies began to take shape.

Even the games he played with his sisters were imitations of these fantasies. Before the age of 14, he was already simulating and completing murder. When children play together, they typically assume roles and use an abstract model of the world to immerse themselves in an imaginative game. However, when Kemper introduced the concept of a simulated death and dying, he was allowing his fantasies to manifest physically. In which he was using the innocent framework of a child to demonstrate his current active world and his future goals both of which are total indications of a deranged existence.

By doing so, he became increasingly familiar with the nature of these impulses to the point where he was eager to see his desires in action. He was, in a sense, seeking the truth of his own nature, though forced to hide his suffering and confront it in isolation.

For the purposes of our analysis, we recognize him as a serial killer, motivated by vengeance and ruled by hatred. However, before earning this label, he was simply a child who harbored dark imaginative content, likely influenced by his emotional suffering and the unstable environment created by his mentally ill mother.

The "gas chamber" game he played is particularly telling. One might suggest that his choice to simulate suffocation and dying by asphyxiation mirrored an internal state of feeling trapped or suffocated. In a metaphorical sense, this symbolic representation illustrates exactly what he was experiencing internally. It’s not uncommon for children to use symbolic play or dreams to express their emotions, much like how we interpret dreams of falling as feelings of being overwhelmed.

However, this simplistic interpretation doesn’t capture the unique nature of Kemper’s personality. His choice of macabre, dark games and his ability to act them out reveal a disturbing deviation from the norm. As he decapitated his sisters' dolls, his inclination to enact these fantasies in reality indicated that he was different from other children. He was actively turning imagination into reality, where these fantasies were anything but ordinary. What could cause a child to possess such dark imagery?

In the obvious stating's, he is possessed by his imagination. Like the shaman seeks his own internal vision strictly to reward the elements he finds to his flock and tribe, Kemper operated under the same means. The alternative for him was that he was utilizing the very manifestations in a darkened manner. His brain and body, in these moments, were symbiotically unified. Not many of us are capable of directing our fantasies in total fruition. We face moral dilemmas and even ethical restrictions.

Kemper, however, was indifferent in this pursuit. His moral associations with others—and himself, for that matter—were nil. He had a sheer instinct to entertain and obtain some version of himself in the fantasies. Like the shaman, he is totally isolated in his relations to others. He is but a vehicle for his dreams and fantasies.

The difference is that the shaman restores some sense of important order to his tribe; Kemper annihilates the very people that contribute to the marriage between his own introversion and the very reasons why his introversions are possible.

Method of Homicide as a Window into Psychological Intent

Criminologists and forensic psychologists recognize that the method of homicide can provide significant insights into the perpetrator's intent, psychological state, and underlying motivations. The distinction between a shooting and a decapitation is particularly telling.

Shooting:

Homicides committed with firearms are often characterized by their efficiency and emotional detachment. The use of a gun allows the perpetrator to maintain physical distance from the victim, which can indicate a desire to avoid direct confrontation or a lack of personal connection. Such killings may be impulsive, opportunistic, or driven by situational factors, and they often lack the prolonged interaction associated with more intimate forms of violence.

Decapitation:

In contrast, decapitation is a highly personal and physically demanding act that requires close contact with the victim. This method is often associated with overkill—a level of violence exceeding what is necessary to cause death—suggesting intense emotions such as rage, hatred, or a desire for domination. Decapitation can also carry symbolic meanings, potentially reflecting the perpetrator's intent to dehumanize the victim or send a message. Such acts are frequently premeditated and may indicate a deeper psychological disturbance or a ritualistic component.

Psychological Implications:

The choice of killing method can reveal the perpetrator's psychological state. Firearm use might suggest impulsivity or a calculated decision to kill with minimal personal involvement. Decapitation, however, often points to a more profound psychological pathology, possibly involving sadistic tendencies or a compulsion to exert extreme control over the victim.

Understanding the nuances between different methods of homicide aids investigators in profiling suspects and determining motives. While shootings might be linked to gang violence, robberies, or personal disputes, decapitations are rarer and may be associated with serial killings, acts of terrorism, or culturally motivated crimes.

In summary, the method of homicide provides crucial insights into the perpetrator's intent and psychological state. While shootings often indicate a desire for detachment or efficiency, decapitations suggest a more intimate, emotionally charged, and possibly ritualistic motive.

Kemper's Killings

Kemper practiced his skills on cats before he moved on to human victims. Again, we see his inclination to decapitate a living being—a choice that is different from merely killing it. Decapitating a living creature stems from a place of primal, instinctual violence and anger. To remove the centerpiece of a being's body is an ultimate act of hatred.

Kemper decapitated his mother and even went so far as to violate her corpse, engaging in acts of rape and desecration. This was an ultimate act of violation and disrespect—a pure expression of hatred, carried out with rational intent. His pathology reached a deeply disturbing level at its peak.

Here is a short video Kemper makes on his own views on the situation.

To gain some insights in his deranged mental relation here are some of his famous quotes.

"I just wanted to see how it felt to shoot Grandma."Bugged Space

"The first good-looking girl I see tonight is going to die."Bugged Space

"One side of me says, 'I'd like to talk to her, date her.' The other side of me says, 'I wonder how her head would look on a stick.'"The Narratologist

"I killed my mother and her friend. And I killed those college girls. I killed six of them and I can show you where I hid the pieces of their bodies."Quote Catalog

"I remember there was actually a sexual thrill... you hear that little pop and pull their heads off and hold their heads up by the hair. Whipping their heads off, their body sitting there. That'd get me off." Inspiring Quotes

As we can see, there was a pleasure reward he received from his killings. We also can note the presence of a constant dualistic dilemma of reward and chaos; the embodiment of the chaos of life is to be found in the serial killer's momentum. He operates in-between the human condition for life, as he is totally exposed and disoriented in the presence of the combative nature of the human condition. The often positive impression follows a totally disfigured and truly violent opposite. He also demonstrated pride in his murders; he often implies a victorious standing on what could be considered his goals and achievements from his fantasies to their solid ground.

He is often known during interviews, and even as one can approach his quotes, for holding a deep connection and understanding to the normal observations as a human. As he said, he thought about dating her with generalized behaviors and, on the other hand, brutally humiliating her. This is where his ability to actively hide his true nature was able to survive. He understood his human capacity whilst living a completely secret life.

It could be considered that, if we assume for the sake of understanding that Kemper was like a set of weights, one of the weights was totally maxed out and very heavy; this is his capacity for true evil. Then we assume the other weight was the human version of Kemper. Now, if we look at his murders and abilities to endure the world, he was making the very weight of the evil could have allowed the easiness of his normal role-playing to be successful. Therefore, the power and weight of his evil is the thing that sustains his simplicity of being seen and exposed as a nice, friendly guy.

This nice and friendly guy is not a person who is extroverted; they are normal and sweet. This is the perfect mask because nobody sees any strangeness nor do they suspect anything near the truth

Let us now look briefly further into the minds of other mass serial killers and see if there are similarities.

The Life and Crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer

Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, born on May 21, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the first of two sons to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. His early years were marked by a shift from a happy, energetic child to a withdrawn and uncommunicative individual following a hernia surgery at age six. ThoughtCo

Dahmer's parents had a tumultuous relationship, leading to their divorce when he was 18. This instability, coupled with his mother's mental health issues and his father's frequent absences due to work, contributed to a troubled home environment. Encyclopaedia Britannica

From a young age, Dahmer exhibited disturbing behaviors, including a fascination with dead animals and dismemberment. He collected animal carcasses, which he dissected and preserved, indicating early signs of his later criminal activities. ThoughtCo

In high school, Dahmer's behavior became increasingly erratic. He began drinking heavily and was often intoxicated during classes. Despite his intelligence, his academic performance declined, and he became more isolated from his peers. Encyclopaedia Britannica

After graduating high school in 1978, Dahmer committed his first murder, killing a hitchhiker named Steven Hicks. He then enrolled at Ohio State University but dropped out due to poor academic performance and continued alcohol abuse. ThoughtCo

Dahmer enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1979, serving as a combat medic in Germany. However, his service was cut short in 1981 due to his alcoholism, leading to an honorable discharge. Encyclopaedia Britannica

Upon returning to the United States, Dahmer's life was marked by a series of menial jobs and continued substance abuse. He lived with his grandmother in West Allis, Wisconsin, during which time he committed several murders. ThoughtCo

Dahmer's criminal activities escalated between 1987 and 1991, during which he murdered 16 more young men. His crimes involved not only murder but also acts of necrophilia, dismemberment, and cannibalism. Encyclopaedia Britannica

He was arrested on July 22, 1991, after one of his intended victims managed to escape and alert the police. Upon searching Dahmer's apartment, authorities discovered photographs of dismembered bodies and human remains, leading to his immediate arrest.ThoughtCo

In 1992, Dahmer was convicted of 15 murders and sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms in prison. On November 28, 1994, he was killed by a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. Encyclopaedia Britannica

Let us take away some key insights into his early life.

Childhood Thought Patterns and Behaviors

1. Shift in Personality After Surgery: Dahmer was initially described as a happy and energetic child, but following a hernia surgery at the age of six, he became withdrawn and introverted. This marked a significant change in his demeanor, potentially reflecting early psychological struggles.
2. Fascination with Death and Dismemberment: From a young age, Dahmer exhibited a disturbing interest in dead animals. He would collect animal carcasses, dissect them, and preserve parts. This fascination with dismemberment may hint at a developing curiosity about death and control over life.
3. Isolation and Social Withdrawal: As he grew older, Dahmer became increasingly isolated. He struggled to connect with peers and displayed signs of social withdrawal. This isolation may have contributed to a sense of detachment from others, which later played into his violent tendencies.
4. Early Signs of Addictive Behavior: In high school, Dahmer began drinking heavily and was often intoxicated during school. This early dependence on alcohol suggests a possible coping mechanism for underlying emotional pain or internal conflict.
5. Lack of Parental Stability: Dahmer’s family life was unstable. His parents’ frequent arguments, his mother’s mental health issues, and his father’s absence due to work left him in a turbulent and emotionally unsupportive environment. Their eventual divorce at a critical developmental stage (when Dahmer was 18) likely compounded feelings of abandonment and instability.
6. Possible Interest in Control: The act of collecting and dissecting animals may indicate an early fixation on exerting control over life and death. This behavior reflects a fascination with the power dynamics of taking life, which became central to his later crimes.
7. Disinterest in Social Norms: Dahmer’s behavior in high school—such as his drinking and erratic tendencies—indicates a disregard for social norms and expectations. This could suggest an early rejection of societal boundaries, which later extended to his violent actions.

Parallel Trajectories: Dahmer and Kemper

It is obvious to the reader that the parallels between Kemper and Dahmer we see before us are striking. Both exhibited the same worlds—worlds built on isolation, shame, embarrassment, chaos, and sadness. I find the link between both of their mothers being mentally ill quite interesting. If we imagine a world where our mother suffers from the derangement of the mind, what sort of sufferings will flourish? Both fathers, by objective truth, must have had understandings. In Dahmer's instance, we know his father was well aware of his mother's illnesses, as she used to abuse prescription drugs and found the world of emotions to be quite abstract and challenging.

In both cases, there is an immediate arrival of a fascination with death and its connotations of murder and the finite presence of life. Kemper acted out by imitating macabre games, butchering his family cats, and decapitating the dolls and the cats. Dahmer obsessively sought aspects of death; he was interested in the allure of death’s unknown identity. It is clear that both men operated from similar sources. Both possessed inclinations to understand something so dark and sinister in the conscious experience. Dahmer was interested in looking inside the parts of the dead and began to honor the discipline of such a thing.

Both Kemper and Dahmer, during their developmental years, encountered deep grief and abandonment from key figures in their lives. We can apply these same experiences to our adult lives. When we have been abandoned and treated horridly, we know the suffering that stems from these experiences to be crippling. We immediately find ourselves in doubt—doubt of existence, of people, and of ourselves. This is from an adult perspective. During our fundamental developmental years, however, we are entirely vulnerable and predictable because we know nothing of the world. We stare out at it, holding out our hands to those under parental guidance and moral absolutism to lead us into our future selves. For both men, this foundation was shattered, leaving them to fend for themselves.

During this time of bonding with oneself, in the child’s psyche, it is apparent that they are ultimately spontaneous in their exuberance and total infatuation with the present moment. In the adult world, this can be seen as a rendition of enlightenment—a formless behavior that promotes the presence and delivery of the mind’s deepest fantasies and contents.

In the human condition, it is easy to spend days consumed by guilt, shame, sadness, anger, and rage. We are fundamentally sensitive to existence, and these emotional states, which arise during difficult emotional times, can be incredibly straining. They can turn us bitter and resentful, and rather quickly, we may find ourselves entering a world of total darkness. For a child to experience such a difficult time, it is clear that their capacity for suffering enables the expression and emergence of interests in darkness.

If we think of the child as a spirit learning and entirely free from adult issues, stress, and concerns about self or their relation to others, we see a stark contrast. It is only later in life that we begin to truly desire knowledge of ourselves. This self-awareness does not emerge during the times we are stumbling around, completely free, living in a new dawn of life it is beginning to sprout.

Dahmer possessed the same qualities as Kemper, the revolt against everything, the obsession of the disturbing facts of life.

He confessed to having obsessive desires to control and possess his victims permanently. In his own words:

• "I had these obsessive desires and thoughts wanting to control them [victims], to—I don't know how to put it—possess them permanently." Oxygen

Dahmer's fantasies began in his teenage years, evolving from thoughts of dominance to necrophilic desires. He admitted to fantasizing about taking a hitchhiker back to his house to have complete control over him. Crime + Investigation

These fantasies escalated over time, leading him to commit heinous acts, including attempts to create "living zombies" by drilling into his victims' skulls and injecting acid, aiming to render them completely submissive. Serial Killer Shop

His fantasies were not solely about control but also involved a desire to keep parts of his victims as trophies. Dahmer stated:

• "I could completely control a person—a person that I found physically attractive, and keep them with me as long as possible, even if it meant just keeping a part of them." Serial Killer Shop

As we can see yet again between the two, the correlation to secure total control over their victims indicates psyches that are completely out of control, as if they are grappling with forces beyond rational observation—forces like untamed and unconscious instincts and impulses.

In my estimation, the desire for control stems from the objective reality of being entirely out of control. In both Kemper’s and Dahmer’s cases, they were out of control due to the sheer torment that consumed them. On one hand, it was the dysregulation of genuine emotions and experiences that contributed to their isolating development; on the other hand, it was the peculiar threads of revenge, paired with an instinct to transform their inner turmoil into something tangible and immediately accessible.

Thus far, as we have examined the two killers discussed, we will now extend our investigation to one more subject, delving into the gritty details to uncover some rationale within the structures of the serial killer.

Let us now turn to the infamous Bundy.

Theodore Robert Bundy

Ted Bundy’s Early Life and Upbringing

Ted Bundy was born Theodore Robert Cowell on November 24, 1946, in Burlington, Vermont. His mother, Eleanor Louise Cowell, was unmarried at the time of his birth, which was considered highly scandalous in the 1940s. To protect her and her child from societal judgment, Bundy was raised believing that his grandparents were his parents and that his mother was his older sister. This deception created confusion about his identity, and when he later discovered the truth, it reportedly left him feeling betrayed and resentful.

Bundy’s biological father was never present in his life, and the details of his paternity remain uncertain. This absence of a father figure may have contributed to feelings of inadequacy and insecurity during his formative years. His grandfather, who acted as the head of the household, was described as a violent and domineering man who often exhibited abusive behavior towards both family members and animals. This environment likely normalized aggression for Bundy and planted early seeds of psychological disturbance.

Even as a young child, Bundy exhibited troubling behavior. A family member recalled a disturbing incident in which three-year-old Bundy surrounded her bed with knives and smiled at her. Such acts hinted at a lack of empathy and an early fascination with control and fear. These signs were an early prelude to the darkness that would later define his life.

Adolescence and Troubling Signs

During his teenage years, Bundy appeared to others as charismatic and intelligent, but he often described himself as socially awkward and isolated. He struggled to form meaningful connections, which may have deepened feelings of detachment and resentment toward others. Despite his outward charm, Bundy’s insecurities were ever-present.

He began engaging in petty theft and voyeuristic behaviors during high school, often peeping into windows to spy on women. This early deviant behavior revealed a growing fixation on control, boundaries, and dominance. Though he excelled academically at times, his school performance was inconsistent, reflecting a lack of sustained focus and discipline.

Adulthood and Escalation of Violence

As Bundy entered adulthood, his ability to charm and manipulate others became a defining feature of his personality. Outwardly, he seemed like a well-adjusted and ambitious young man, but internally, he was deeply troubled. A pivotal moment in his life was the breakup with his first serious girlfriend, a woman who symbolized everything he aspired to but felt he could never achieve. This rejection left a lasting wound and is often considered a key factor in his later crimes, as many of his victims resembled this woman.

Bundy began his killing spree in 1974, targeting young women, often college students, who fit a specific physical type. His crimes were characterized by extreme violence, including sexual assault, strangulation, and dismemberment. Bundy often used clever tricks to lure his victims, such as feigning injury or asking for help, preying on their goodwill.

His intelligence and resourcefulness made him a difficult criminal to apprehend. Even after being caught, Bundy managed to escape custody twice, using his charm and wit to manipulate those around him. He continued his killing spree during his escapes, highlighting his calculated and compulsive nature.

Capture and Death

Bundy was eventually captured in Florida in 1978 after committing several high-profile murders, including the infamous attack at the Chi Omega sorority house. His trial became a media sensation, with Bundy representing himself in court. His narcissism and need for attention were on full display as he relished the spotlight.

Convicted of multiple murders, Bundy was sentenced to death. On January 24, 1989, he was executed in the electric chair. Despite confessing to 30 murders, the true extent of his crimes remains unknown.

Incorporating Existentialism To the Serial Killer

The Phenomenology of Evil: Mapping the Interior Worlds of Kemper, Dahmer, and Bundy

When we examine the lives of Kemper, Dahmer, and Bundy through a philosophical lens, we are drawn to the ontological question of evil itself—its origins, manifestations, and its relationship to the human condition. To understand their trajectories, one must move beyond the confines of psychological reductionism and into the realm of phenomenology, where the lived experience of being takes precedence over categorical diagnoses. This approach allows us to explore not merely their actions but the existential and metaphysical underpinnings of their realities.

Evil as a Response to Ontological Abandonment

At the heart of each man's psyche lies a shared experience of abandonment, a severance from the foundational structures that typically bind the individual to the world. Kemper’s torment under his mother’s dominance, Dahmer’s estrangement from meaningful parental guidance, and Bundy’s betrayal by those closest to him (his mother and family) represent an ontological rupture—a shattering of their "being-in-the-world," as Heidegger might frame it.

This abandonment fostered an existential alienation. Deprived of nurturing intersubjective relationships, all three killers turned inward, creating private worlds steeped in dark fantasies. Their experiences reveal a "thrownness" (Geworfenheit) into a world devoid of meaningful connections, where their actions emerged as attempts to assert control over the chaos of existence. In philosophical terms, they were not merely reacting to their conditions; they were reconstituting the world through acts of violence, projecting their fractured inner states outward in grotesque displays of power.

Control as an Expression of Will-to-Power

Nietzsche’s concept of the will-to-power provides a useful framework for understanding the central role of control in the lives of these men. Each killer sought mastery over their victims, not simply as an end in itself but as a means of asserting their dominance over a world that had rendered them powerless.

• Kemper, with his towering intellect and physicality, enacted his will-to-power in grotesque parricidal rituals, culminating in the symbolic destruction of his mother—the locus of his ontological suffering.
• Dahmer embodied his will-to-power through his desire to "possess" his victims eternally, creating grotesque mockeries of human relationships by transforming bodies into trophies and companions.
• Bundy, the consummate manipulator, relied on his charm and intellect to exploit the goodwill of his victims, each conquest reinforcing his internal narrative of superiority and control.

In all three, the will-to-power operated as both a reaction to and an expression of their alienation. Their violence became a medium through which they sought to reassert their agency, albeit in perverse and destructive forms.

The Dialectic of the Mask: Authenticity and Deception

All three killers operated within a dualistic framework of appearance and reality, embodying Sartre's notion of bad faith. They lived inauthentically, presenting socially acceptable masks to the world while concealing the darker truths of their natures. This dialectic of the mask allowed them to navigate society undetected, yet it also speaks to the fractured nature of their being.

The mask, however, was not merely a tool for deception; it was an existential necessity. The "normal" personas of Kemper, Dahmer, and Bundy served as a bulwark against the void of their internal chaos. Their ability to compartmentalize their actions—engaging in everyday life while committing heinous acts—reveals the disjointed nature of their selfhoods. In psychoanalytic terms, one could argue that their superegos capitulated entirely to the id, leaving behind a fragmented ego that maintained only the veneer of order.

The Convergence of the Absurd and the Transgressive

Camus’ concept of the absurd—the tension between humanity's desire for meaning and the universe's indifference—resonates strongly in the actions of these killers. In their formative years, all three encountered a fundamental absurdity: a world that failed to nurture or acknowledge them. Their response was to transgress, to impose their own grotesque order upon the chaos, to make themselves visible in a universe that seemed determined to erase them.

This transgression was not merely an act of rebellion but a metaphysical statement. By violating societal norms in the most horrific ways, they were attempting to assert their existence in the face of existential nihilism. Their acts of violence, as horrifying as they were, can be seen as existential cries against their own invisibility.

The Ethical Void and the Failure of Autonomy

Kemper, Dahmer, and Bundy each represent a profound ethical void—a collapse of the moral structures that typically govern human behavior. Yet this void was not entirely of their own making. Their environments, shaped by unstable family dynamics, societal expectations, and the failure of institutions, contributed to the erosion of their moral compasses.

Philosophically, this raises questions about autonomy and culpability. To what extent were their actions expressions of free will, and to what extent were they determined by the conditions of their existence? Sartre might argue that they chose their paths, despite their circumstances, but this choice was made within a context of profound existential despair.

Conclusion: Toward a Phenomenology of Violence

Kemper, Dahmer, and Bundy are not merely subjects of psychological study; they are case studies in the human condition. Their lives compel us to confront uncomfortable truths about the interplay between trauma, alienation, and the capacity for evil. They force us to ask: what happens when the structures that bind us to humanity—love, empathy, and community—are severed?

In their violence, we see reflections of a deeper metaphysical struggle, one that transcends the individual and speaks to the fragility of human existence itself. Their crimes were not merely acts of brutality; they were distorted attempts to reclaim a sense of being in a world that had abandoned them. As such, they demand a philosophical reckoning—an acknowledgment that evil is not an abstract concept but a lived phenomenon, arising at the intersection of psyche, society, and existence.