Marc Dingman - Bizarre: The Most Peculiar Cases of Human Behavior and What They Tell Us about How the Brain Works

First published in 2023 by Nicholas Brealey Publishing

An imprint of John Murray Press

An Hachette UK company

Copyright Marc Dingman 2023

The right of Marc Dingman to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Text illustrations created by Marc Dingman

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022942592

ISBN 9781399801201

US eBook 9781399805353

UK eBook ISBN 9781399801225

John Murray Press Ltd

Carmelite House

50 Victoria Embankment

London EC4Y 0DZ

Tel: 020 3122 6000

www.nbuspublishing.com

Bizarre is a collection of stories of how the brain can create zombies, cult members, extra limbs, instant musicians, and overnight accents, to name a few of the mind-scratching cases. After reading this book, you will walk away with a greater appreciation for this bizarre organ. If you are a fan of Oliver Sacks books, youre certain to be a fan of Dingmans Bizarre.

Allison M. Wilck, PhD, Researcher and Assistant Professor of Psychology, Eastern Mennonite University

Through case studies of both exceptional people as well as those with disorders, Bizarre takes us on a fascinating journey in which we learn more about what is going on in our skull.

William J. Ray, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, author, Introduction to Psychological Science, Research Methods for Psychological Science, and Abnormal Psychology

A unique combination of storytelling and scientific explanation that appeals to the brain novice, the trained neuroscientist, and everyone in between. Dingman explores some of the most fascinating and mysterious expressions of human behavior in a style that is case study, dramatic novel, and introductory textbook all rolled into one.

Alison Kreisler, PhD, Neuroscience Instructor, California State University, San Marcos

Dingman brings the history of neuroscience back to life and weaves in contemporary ideas seamlessly. Readers will come along for the ride of a really interesting read and accidentally learn some neuroscience along the way.

Erin Kirschmann, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology & Counseling, Immaculata University

Bizarre is one of those rare reads that presents true neuroscientific information in a genuinely accessible manner. Dingmans entertaining writing style crossed with his depth of knowledge on the subject is sure to make this book a valuable asset to both the novice and the practiced scientist alike.

Kate Anderson, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, Presbyterian College

For Michelle.
Without your love and support,
I truly dont know where I would be.

A t about 11:40 a.m. on a hot, cloudless August day, 25-year-old Charles Whitman took the elevator to the top floor of the Main Building at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin. It was 1966, and at that time the Main Building, known simply as the Tower to students and locals, was the second tallest building in Austinrising 307 feet into the Texas sky from the center of the UT campus.

Whitman was an Eagle Scout, ex-Marine, and a UT studenta six-foot-tall, muscular, blond-haired man who was generally well liked. He used his university ID to get past a security guard, who let him wheel an army-style footlocker on a dolly into the tower. Unbeknownst to the guard, the footlocker contained an arsenal of weapons.

Whitman reached the 27th floor, then took three steep half-flights of stairs up to the observation deck, which wraps around the 28th floor of the tower. When he got to the reception area of the observation deck, he was greeted by the receptionist, 51-year-old Edna Townsley. He immediately attacked her, fatally injuring her with a blow to the back of the headprobably delivered with the butt of his rifle. Minutes later, a group of visitors arrived to take in the views of the city available from the tower. Whitman fired at them with a sawed-off shotgun, killing two and critically injuring two others.

Charles Whitman as he appeared in the 1963 edition of the University of Texas student yearbook.

Then Whitman stepped out onto the observation deck, opened the footlocker, and spread his arsenal out on the floor. He had a collection of pistols and rifles and about 700 rounds of ammunition. Whitman selected a rifle that was designed for long-range accuracy. At 11:48 a.m., he began shooting at people walking on the UT campus hundreds of feet below.

His first shot ripped through the stomach of a pregnant woman, Claire Wilson, immediately killing her unborn son. As Claire fell to the ground, her boyfriend rushed to her to see what was wrong; he was shot in the back and died instantly. Whitmans next three victims were a physics professor, a Peace Corps trainee, and an undergraduate student.

That was all in the first 10 minutes of Whitmans terroristic onslaught. He continued his random attacks on the passersby below for over an hour and a half before police stormed the tower and shot him dead. When it was over, Whitman had killed 14 people (including Claire Wilsons unborn child) and injured more than 30 others. Another student, whose kidney had been severely damaged from one of Whitmans rounds, died in 2001; his death was ruled a homicide.

Of course, the first question on everyones mind after such a tragedy is: Why? What would lead an architectural engineering student who many considered a nice guy to commit this heinous crime?

When police began investigating, more horrific details came to light. Whitman had also used a large hunting knife to kill his mother and his wife in the early morning hours on the day of the shooting.

While searching Whitmans home, police found a note Whitman had typed on a typewriter the night before the attack. In it, Whitman seemed to be trying to make sense of his homicidal urges. He wrote:

I dont really understand myself these days. I am supposed to be an average reasonable and intelligent young man.

Whitmans wish for an autopsy was granted the day after his death. Although Whitmans case was already an intriguing one for sociologists and criminologists, the autopsy caused Whitman to be thrust to the forefront of debates on the brain and behavior. For, when doctors examined Whitmans brain, they found a large tumor impacting a structure called the amygdala, which plays an important role in emotional regulation. (Well talk more about the amygdala in the chapters to come.)

This discovery prompted some to attribute Whitmans homicidal behavior to the presence of the brain tumor. Indeed, it seems plausible that Whitmans tumor could have influenced his amygdala in such a way as to cause unexpected personality changes, potentially leading to his vile actions.

Others, however, are not so quick to blame Whitmans tumor for his crimes. Despite the accounts of Whitman being likable, he had a temper that sometimes frightened his wife, and he admitted to physically attacking her on two occasions. At the time of the shooting, he was also dangerously abusing amphetamine. It wasnt uncommon for him to stay awake for days taking large doses of the drug, behavior that increases the likelihood of violent outburstsand can even cause someone to lose touch with reality.