Friday, June 27, 2008

Clinically Lycanthropic Cultural Policy

Back in the 1980s, several clinicians revived the concept of perceived lycanthropy: the belief that one has memories of transforming into another animal, or the delusion that one has, in fact, transformed into an animal (not necessarily a wolf).

Lycanthropy has been a known rare but problematic mental and emotional disorder for milennia. Even the great tyrant Nebuchadnezzer "transformed" into a beast (in his mind) for seven years, bringing the government to a halt.

If clinical lycanthropy, the delusion that one is no different from an animal, is considered to be a mental illness, why then does it so acceptably drive social policy?

Oh well, gives me an excuse to link to apes. I love apes. You know, in a totally species-appropriate way.

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