Armchair Psych Profile and Treatment

[newsleuther]

Some examples, there is a stronger form of DMT now, called "5-meo-DMT".

Erowid has a fascinating section of "trip reports" where people report back on their experience with the substance.

http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=18198

That's an interesting one that will give you an idea what what these new drugs can do.

 

[rollinginit]

Some examples, there is a stronger form of DMT now, called "5-meo-DMT".

Erowid has a fascinating section of "trip reports" where people report back on their experience with the substance.

http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=18198

That's an interesting one that will give you an idea what what these new drugs can do.

WOW! That trip report is scary.

So it is possible that JH's was using a certain chemical in his labs....and maybe got addicted to it?

My hubby works with dangerous chemicals. He has to be careful if he is in a confined space.

 

[newsleuther]

WOW! That trip report is scary.

So it is possible that JH's was using a certain chemical in his labs....and maybe got addicted to it?

My hubby works with dangerous chemicals. He has to be careful if he is in a confined space.

Well, those types of drugs are not psychically addictive, the way, say, heroin is. But they can definitely make you permanently messed up if you use them a lot, or use too high of a dose.

DMT makes LSD look like candy.

He could have been attracted to these drugs because of how they work on the mind and memory. I wish we had more info!

The other thing is, these are not frequently tested for in a drug screen (I don't even know if they have tests for them yet), and also leave your system quickly... so I don't know if anyone would even be able to tell he took them via a test.

It's an interesting theory, that's for sure, and the way he talked about memories and such in his personal statement made me remember it.

 

[orora]

Right, take all the theories postulated on this thread and combine them. The theory has to meet up with the factual residue somehow.

Holmes may have had an early traumatic experience (adopted.) He may have had a predisposition to MI including schizophrenia. He was intelligent and may have been researching his own condition. He gets into an area of research that almost simulates dissociation. He seeks professional help. He has an abrupt personality change near the end but is still able to maintain the mental cognicance to perform the most intricate and dangerous manual deterity excercises required to make and wire bombs. He acts out his intended mission over a long period of time in a manner that requires the same mind set all along throughout the course. No changing delusions or second thoughts. He completes the mission and is arrested apparently completely out of it drugged and ranting. He is stabalized and apparently redrugged with another med to bring him to court appearances. Holmes apparently remembers nothing now? The abrupt change takes place here. Why? Meds are changed? The act itself causes the disassociation?

We have lots more to hear but if those experimental drugs were given to a person with the possible aforementioned predisposition to MI, they could produce some incredibly bizzare results. It may all fit in but we may not have a well defined category for the resultant condition.
JMO

 

[newsleuther]

From a prior post of mine right after the court appearance (and makes sense with this new drug discussion)

I think I posted this in the wrong thread, so I'll repost it here - it relates to his mental state and possible usage of drugs

But, I have to say, as someone who dabbled in some things when I was younger, after watching his 1st appearance in court, it reminded me of 2 things:

#1) When I used to take hallucinogens, there were times I was sitting alone in a room, and hallucinated that I was at a party and was having regular conversations with people while smoking a cigarette. This would happen with closed eyes. When I opened my eyes, my head would pop up, eyes go wide with kind of a start because I'd realize I where I actually was, alone in a room, with no cigarette.

#2) It also reminded me of opiate withdrawal. But he would not be sleeping like a baby if he was going through that, not at all.

The thing that stood out the most to me was the snapping of the head, the almost "snap back to reality" face. It gave me a weird feeling of deja vu until I could place it.

 

[Walker]

The graduate student was being treated for mental illness by a professor at the same university.

Although they are unlikely to have actually worked together, this arrangement may not have been ethical. The therapist's personal interest (i.e. make the university look good) may have conflicted with the best interest of her patient. And, she may have let her judgment be influenced by the views of her colleagues and personal friends.

On the other hand, perhaps the problems he brought to her attention were only minor.

Maybe he was afraid to tell her the whole truth because she might inform his professors. Since some of them were also psychiatrists, discussing his case could be considered consulting rather than violation of confidentiality.

She should have referred him to an outside psychiatrist.

 

[ladeda7777]

What does it take to make James go to see a psych? He is extremely shy and introverted. He is very bright but has no answers. Was that an easy step for him or has he been in treatment before? Did his shyness inhibit the process? Many people with MI resort to self medicating.

 

[Walker]

From a prior post of mine right after the court appearance (and makes sense with this new drug discussion)

When I used to take hallucinogens, there were times I was sitting alone in a room, and hallucinated that I was at a party and was having regular conversations with people while smoking a cigarette. This would happen with closed eyes. When I opened my eyes, my head would pop up, eyes go wide with kind of a start because I'd realize I where I actually was, alone in a room, with no cigarette.

Were these hallucinations related to wish-fulfillment? That is, were the imagined conversations with people whom you really wanted to talk to? Most LSD trips I have heard described relate more to things than to people.

 

[orora]

There's the million dollar question imo.
from ladeda7777

or has he been in treatment before?

How much of the MI was known before hand and what was being done? How much of this did Fenton know and what was being done? Did she change or increase meds? Did Holmes have access to some of these latest new drugs or the ingredients on his own? Rapidly disappearing behind damage control procedures.

 

[rollinginit]

There's the million dollar question imo.
from ladeda7777


How much of the MI was known before hand and what was being done? How much of this did Fenton know and what was being done? Did she change or increase meds? Did Holmes have access to some of these latest new drugs or the ingredients on his own? Rapidly disappearing behind damage control procedures.

None of those are known yet. Yes, that is the million dollar question. At this point, I am wondering if we will know any of this information for awhile.

All that has been reported is that Fenton "warned the Univ the first 10 days in June about JH".....We don't know exactly who she warned, either BETA or an campus cop...maybe both. And we don't know exactly what she warned them about JH.

 

[Grasshopper]

There is a Facebook post by a singer that JH reportedly liked. Ties in well with the Craig's List posting that someone mentioned on one of these threads, online footprint I believe, that had a link to a YouTube video for Skinny Puppy.

In any case, the lead singer of that group reported on his Facebook page that Holmes came to one of his gigs and they talked extensively. About what? Well, his interest and active use in drugs. He also gave his personal feelings on the "vibe" he got from Holmes. It was interesting stuff -- if it is true.

Is it okay to post that link here? It would take me quite awhile to find it on his page now but I will certainly look. It went into some more specific types of information about what drugs that Holmes was using in a recreational nature, as this guy reported from their conversation.

 

[zvzvzv]

There was a brief discussion of this on the thread "JEH Online Footprint"
The link to the conversation with the Skinny Puppy musician is there.

I'm glad to see DMT & other substances brought back to the conversation,
I think JH would totally fit the profile of someone interested in these things.
I think I mentioned on the other thread that I have known someone
who developed life-altering delusions after using DMT.
This person was obviously predisposed to mental illness,
but what manifested was not an easily diagnosable disorder,
just continuing beliefs of a supernatural nature that this
person did not have prior to using substances.

 

[Nemont]

I posted this in the documents thread, but it may be applicable here.

AP released a lot of documents relating to his applications to graduate school. It included his resume and his "personal statement", the longest text that I have seen written by Holmes himself:

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_documents/holmes_application.pdf

The last line of his personal statement reads

"My life- long goal is to increase the efficiency of how human beings learn and remember."

His goal isn't to heal or treat damaged, diseased, ill or defective minds, but rather to "increase the efficiency" of the brain. ie. improving the way it functions rather than restoring it to health…changing/enhancing it so that it is becomes more efficient.

I also noticed in the docs released a handwritten note that listed "Vitamin Making"… I wonder if JH was experimenting on his own, and/or on himself, with either natural or not-so-natural substances that he felt might "increase the efficiency of how human being learn and remember."

 

[~n/t~]

The last line of his personal statement reads

"My life- long goal is to increase the efficiency of how human beings learn and remember."

His goal isn't to heal or treat damaged, diseased, ill or defective minds, but rather to "increase the efficiency" of the brain. ie. improving the way it functions rather than restoring it to health…changing/enhancing it so that it is becomes more efficient.

I also noticed in the docs released a handwritten note that listed "Vitamin Making"… I wonder if JH was experimenting on his own, and/or on himself, with either natural or not-so-natural substances that he felt might "increase the efficiency of how human being learn and remember."

I always felt he was experimenting with drugs and concocting his own. Maybe "vitamins" falls in his category.

 

[~n/t~]

I posted this in the documents thread, but it may be applicable here.

AP released a lot of documents relating to his applications to graduate school. It included his resume and his "personal statement", the longest text that I have seen written by Holmes himself:

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_documents/holmes_application.pdf

Another laboratory I worked in was within the department of chemistry at the University of California, Riverside

Do we know anything about his academic history at the University of California, Riverside? Why did he move to Colorado?

 

[newsleuther]

Were these hallucinations related to wish-fulfillment? That is, were the imagined conversations with people whom you really wanted to talk to? Most LSD trips I have heard described relate more to things than to people.

These generally happened when I took too much MDMA (cut have been cut with other things), and no, they were totally normal conversations with totally normal people I saw every day, like I was at a regular party just talking to people, until the "jerk" back to reality where I realized I was alone.

LSD, yes, it's more of interacting with objects around you, looking funny, but you're aware of your surroundings... they're just slightly different. The wall might look like it's dripping, but you know it's the wall.

DMT is a whole different animal. It literally transports you into another world that you have never seen before, with people you may have not seen for years and years, or who may be dead. Spirit beings and the like. Cartoonish. Very strange and dissociative.

I messed around with a lot of stuff in college and am lucky I'm a regular adult now, lol. But it still interests me and I read up on things from time to time, and the research chems that people are messing around with now, very crazy stuff. The only reason I tried DMT (this was in the 90's) was because it was unheard of... apparently now its very easy to get, along with other very strong hallucinogenics... I can see them making someone only slightly unstable full on insane, especially if too high a dose is taken, or it's used too often.

 

[Walker]

The last line of his personal statement reads

"My life- long goal is to increase the efficiency of how human beings learn and remember."

His goal isn't to heal or treat damaged, diseased, ill or defective minds, but rather to "increase the efficiency" of the brain. ie. improving the way it functions rather than restoring it to health…changing/enhancing it so that it is becomes more efficient.

You are right about that goal.

Almost sounds like he wants to improve academic performance by chemical means, similarly to athletes who use steroids; as if he sees grades themselves as being an objective and worthwhile accomplishment outside the context of many indicators of performance in a meaningful program of study.


Maybe that is how the concept of grades was presented to him throughout his life; he was “okay” because his grades were okay. But suddenly, his grades were failing. So he couldn’t cope any more.

 

[jjenny]

The graduate student was being treated for mental illness by a professor at the same university.

Although they are unlikely to have actually worked together, this arrangement may not have been ethical. The therapist's personal interest (i.e. make the university look good) may have conflicted with the best interest of her patient. And, she may have let her judgment be influenced by the views of her colleagues and personal friends.

On the other hand, perhaps the problems he brought to her attention were only minor.

Maybe he was afraid to tell her the whole truth because she might inform his professors. Since some of them were also psychiatrists, discussing his case could be considered consulting rather than violation of confidentiality.

She should have referred him to an outside psychiatrist.

She is there specifically to provide mental health care for the students. Which is what he was. What you are claiming is that it's unethical for her to do her job.

 

[jjenny]

I always felt he was experimenting with drugs and concocting his own. Maybe "vitamins" falls in his category.

They already have a number of drugs that improve brain performance in healthy normal individuals. As far as I can tell these drugs don't cause murder as a side effect.

 

[Nemont]

She is there specifically to provide mental health care for the students. Which is what he was. What you are claiming is that it's unethical for her to do her job.

According to this offer letter, which she did accept and signed, she was a faculty member - Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Psychiatry.

http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/topissues/Documents/PDF/Fenton_LOO.pdf

On the second page, 4th paragraph down explains her duties…which included providing psych. care to students, but she was not there specifically for that reason alone.