Narcissistic Personality Disorder Analysis
The human brain is a very complex organ and the mind is really difficult to understand. The terms are often interchanged, but the distinction between these two is that the brain is a physical part of the body and the mind controls it (Gordon, 2014). The mind tells the brain what to do, but what tells the mind what to think? Where does it come from? What are its origins? It is hard to say; the mind is a mysterious concept. Some people murder, rob, assault, rape, etc. Why would people do monstrosities such as depriving others of their lives? Society considers this behavior abnormal. They assume this type of conduct is caused by mental disorders, or mental illness. Sue, Sue, Sue, and Sue (2014) wrote in their book that professionals are shifting
…show more content…
from one-dimensional models to multipath models of mental disorders. The later model combines the four different dimensions found in the first model: biological, psychological, social, and sociocultural. It can better help explain why people suffer from mental disorders. The case of Jim Jones is a good example of a person who changed through his life experiences to become a key element to a mass suicide.
Jim Jones was a very charismatic cult leader of the Peoples Temple who promised a utopia to his followers in the South American jungles (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016). When their dream came true, he made sure to end it right away. Encyclopedia Britannica (2016) reports the number of deaths totaled 913 of which 276 were children. This event became known as the Jonestown Massacre. Jones did much for the community, for example he worked with the homeless and became director of the Human Rights Commission in Indiana. Unfortunately, he became obsessed with power and soon people started accusing him of diverting the church money to his own use. In spite of all the trouble many followed him to Guyana expecting to encounter the so promised utopia. Many may ask, why would he do this? Why would he lead his people, those who worshipped him, to their deaths? Some of the causes can be found in Jones' early life experiences.
According to Biography.com (2014), Jim Jones was born on May 13, 1931, to James Thurman Jones and Lynetta Jones. His father was a World War I veteran and his mother worked most of the time. He was often left alone with an indifferent father. As his family went through rough times during the great depression (Jim Jones, 2017), he sought refuge in religion. By the age of 10 he visited different churches in a religious quest. He took what he learned at the different churches and started preaching to other children. His lack of interest in children activities, such as sports, gave him few friends although his speech skills were strong. His parents separated in 1948, and Jones moved with his mother to Richmond (Jim Jones, 2017). The famouspeople.com website points out that he was intolerant to racial discrimination because of his own experiences (2017). It also says he was "heavily influenced by the works of Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Mahatma Gandhi." He even went as far as to kill a cat and hold funerals for dead animals, satisfying his obsession with death. These experiences as a child might have caused a trigger in him, although there is more to this than just early experiences.
According to "What was Jim Jones' mental and physical condition in November 1978?" (2014), there is not much information on Jim Jones' medical records, although it is believed he was really sick during his final months. His autopsy revealed high levels of pentobarbital, a drug used to reduce stress, to which he had developed a tolerance over time. His drug abuse became visible after they moved to Guyana (Wunrow, 2014). His style as an orator began to change, his sermons were fatalistic, and he began his suicide rehearsals (Wunrow, 2014). Wunrow (2014) cites that one of the reporters described Jones as a madman who gave a list of diseases aggravating him, starting with cancer. It was revealed later by Dr. Carlton Goodlett that Jones had a persistent high fever with a deep cough, but he did not possess any information about South American diseases, though he assures Jones would not have lived more than a few more weeks ("What was Jim Jones' mental and physical condition in November 1978?, " 2014). Maybe Jones got physically sick until the last days of his life, but earlier years were marked by mental sickness.
Jim Jones was not a perfect man and to think he oriented more than 900 people to commit suicide one must think there was something wrong with him.
Professor Gary Maynard (2013) points out that Jones had Narcissistic Personality Disorder. He says there is ample evidence of his grandiose sense of self-importance. Jones would tell his congregation that he was God and they would not dare challenge him. In the early stages of Peoples Temple, he charismatic and caring, but soon he started showing his real narcissistic self. Jones saw himself as superior hanging with politicians and high-range figures, while he physically, emotionally, and mentally abused those who were not like him. Even this behavior did not stop him from making his followers stay with him till the end. The only thing Jones, like any other narcissist, wanted was power, admiration, and attention even if it meant to humiliate others. He was very manipulative, convincing his congregation to give him everything they owned for his own personal gain. Narcissist people only think about themselves and Jones was one of …show more content…
them.
Apart from being a drug addict (mentioned above), there is a theory that Jones was dying of AIDS (Jim Jones was dying of AIDS when he ordered mass suicide in Jonestown, 2006).
According to an article on www.abovetopsecret.com (2006), the author found some passages in the book "Gone From the Promised Land" which point out to this theory. First, the author points out Jones' sexual acts. He used to have sexual encounters with his female followers as "therapy" and with his male followers for "punishment." His behavior suggests he enjoyed having several sexual partners, which could have given him the STD. Secondly, the book's author confirms that Jones was diagnosed with progressive coccidioidomycosis to which he responded he was dying anyways. On his last days, Jones was very ill, suffering from high fevers, blurred speech, and perspiration plus he wore a surgical mask. The author also notes that these symptoms are associated with the last stages of AIDS. Even though this is only a theory, there are numerous indicators that it could be valid. AIDS plus the environmental aspects of his life could have influenced Jones' decision
making.
There has always been a conflict between nature and nurture. Both are really important aspects that affect one's life. Jim Jones had several environmental aspects that influenced his behavior such as a loss of job, marital problems, his son's suicide attempt, and a custody battle. After graduating, Jones took a position as student pastor in Somerset Methodist Church, but due to his beliefs he had problems with the church leaders and unfortunately had to resign (Pick-Jones, 2016). After founding his own church and moving to California, his marriage began to suffer (Steel, 1999). Marceline, his wife, wanted a divorce because of Jones' extra-marital affairs (Steel, 1999). According to Steel (1999), Jones was insecure and domineering, causing Marceline to abandon her views and believe in what he believed. In view of this, their son Stephan Jones had little respect for him and even attempted suicide using his father's drugs (Steel 1999). These factors might have caused his narcissistic personality to grow, wanting more control over others. Later on, after moving to Guyana, he faced a custody battle (Yates, 2014). Grace Stoen, a member of Peoples Temple left the congregation and Jones was infuriated (Yates, 2014). Yates (2014) found that Tim Stoen, Grace's husband, had signed an affidavit stating Victor, their son, was not biologically his. He stated Victor was the son of Jim Jones and gave legal custody to him; this was the perfect excuse for Jones to fight back. After the migration to Guyana, Tim joined forces with Grace to fight for Victor (Yates, 2014). According to Yates (2014), Jones did not attend the citations in court and consequently they gave the custody to Grace. Unfortunately, before Victor could make it back to his mother, he died in the Jonestown massacre. This custody battle might have been one of the last crucial points in the decision of Jones to convince his followers of suicide, seeing no outlet to having to return the child back.
Although Jones led more than 900 people to their deaths, he was a very functional man in society. His Global Assessment of Functioning is a 95 as he was successful at work and in relationships. One cannot say he was a 100 because as seen above his marriage and the custody case did not demonstrate that good of a relationship. Jones and his work as a leader were an exemplar to society. His church was known for its social activism and the help it provided to the disabled, and he himslef was a model for his commitment in social equality (Wunrow, 2014). With this, he attracted many followers into his church. In 1968 he had 300 followers, but by 1973 he already had two and a half thousand members (Pick-Jones, 2016). He also cultivated relationships with different powerful political figures using the congregation's money to influence them (Pick-Jones, 2016). Jones, being a strong preacher and leader, had society at his feet, making him the God of his times. No one would imagine this highly functional, highly influential man was going to make a terrible decision.
Jim Jones' life experiences helped shape his character in becoming the main element in the mass suicide at Jonestown. He experienced solitude as a child, but as grew older he was surrounded by love and friendship. Unfortunately, his disorder did not let him give love back to his surrounding congregation. His sick mind did not let him have a happy marriage either. Jones' life was not easy from the reader's point of view, but for him it must have been glory to have such power over so many people. He may not have lived up to his expectations in the last days of his life, but he will go down in history. He will be remembered as the man who brought racial discrimination to an end in his own little big world, but who was also guilty of his own decline.
from one-dimensional models to multipath models of mental disorders. The later model combines the four different dimensions found in the first model: biological, psychological, social, and sociocultural. It can better help explain why people suffer from mental disorders. The case of Jim Jones is a good example of a person who changed through his life experiences to become a key element to a mass suicide.
Jim Jones was a very charismatic cult leader of the Peoples Temple who promised a utopia to his followers in the South American jungles (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016). When their dream came true, he made sure to end it right away. Encyclopedia Britannica (2016) reports the number of deaths totaled 913 of which 276 were children. This event became known as the Jonestown Massacre. Jones did much for the community, for example he worked with the homeless and became director of the Human Rights Commission in Indiana. Unfortunately, he became obsessed with power and soon people started accusing him of diverting the church money to his own use. In spite of all the trouble many followed him to Guyana expecting to encounter the so promised utopia. Many may ask, why would he do this? Why would he lead his people, those who worshipped him, to their deaths? Some of the causes can be found in Jones' early life experiences.
According to Biography.com (2014), Jim Jones was born on May 13, 1931, to James Thurman Jones and Lynetta Jones. His father was a World War I veteran and his mother worked most of the time. He was often left alone with an indifferent father. As his family went through rough times during the great depression (Jim Jones, 2017), he sought refuge in religion. By the age of 10 he visited different churches in a religious quest. He took what he learned at the different churches and started preaching to other children. His lack of interest in children activities, such as sports, gave him few friends although his speech skills were strong. His parents separated in 1948, and Jones moved with his mother to Richmond (Jim Jones, 2017). The famouspeople.com website points out that he was intolerant to racial discrimination because of his own experiences (2017). It also says he was "heavily influenced by the works of Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Mahatma Gandhi." He even went as far as to kill a cat and hold funerals for dead animals, satisfying his obsession with death. These experiences as a child might have caused a trigger in him, although there is more to this than just early experiences.
According to "What was Jim Jones' mental and physical condition in November 1978?" (2014), there is not much information on Jim Jones' medical records, although it is believed he was really sick during his final months. His autopsy revealed high levels of pentobarbital, a drug used to reduce stress, to which he had developed a tolerance over time. His drug abuse became visible after they moved to Guyana (Wunrow, 2014). His style as an orator began to change, his sermons were fatalistic, and he began his suicide rehearsals (Wunrow, 2014). Wunrow (2014) cites that one of the reporters described Jones as a madman who gave a list of diseases aggravating him, starting with cancer. It was revealed later by Dr. Carlton Goodlett that Jones had a persistent high fever with a deep cough, but he did not possess any information about South American diseases, though he assures Jones would not have lived more than a few more weeks ("What was Jim Jones' mental and physical condition in November 1978?, " 2014). Maybe Jones got physically sick until the last days of his life, but earlier years were marked by mental sickness.
Jim Jones was not a perfect man and to think he oriented more than 900 people to commit suicide one must think there was something wrong with him.
Professor Gary Maynard (2013) points out that Jones had Narcissistic Personality Disorder. He says there is ample evidence of his grandiose sense of self-importance. Jones would tell his congregation that he was God and they would not dare challenge him. In the early stages of Peoples Temple, he charismatic and caring, but soon he started showing his real narcissistic self. Jones saw himself as superior hanging with politicians and high-range figures, while he physically, emotionally, and mentally abused those who were not like him. Even this behavior did not stop him from making his followers stay with him till the end. The only thing Jones, like any other narcissist, wanted was power, admiration, and attention even if it meant to humiliate others. He was very manipulative, convincing his congregation to give him everything they owned for his own personal gain. Narcissist people only think about themselves and Jones was one of …show more content…
them.
Apart from being a drug addict (mentioned above), there is a theory that Jones was dying of AIDS (Jim Jones was dying of AIDS when he ordered mass suicide in Jonestown, 2006).
According to an article on www.abovetopsecret.com (2006), the author found some passages in the book "Gone From the Promised Land" which point out to this theory. First, the author points out Jones' sexual acts. He used to have sexual encounters with his female followers as "therapy" and with his male followers for "punishment." His behavior suggests he enjoyed having several sexual partners, which could have given him the STD. Secondly, the book's author confirms that Jones was diagnosed with progressive coccidioidomycosis to which he responded he was dying anyways. On his last days, Jones was very ill, suffering from high fevers, blurred speech, and perspiration plus he wore a surgical mask. The author also notes that these symptoms are associated with the last stages of AIDS. Even though this is only a theory, there are numerous indicators that it could be valid. AIDS plus the environmental aspects of his life could have influenced Jones' decision
making.
There has always been a conflict between nature and nurture. Both are really important aspects that affect one's life. Jim Jones had several environmental aspects that influenced his behavior such as a loss of job, marital problems, his son's suicide attempt, and a custody battle. After graduating, Jones took a position as student pastor in Somerset Methodist Church, but due to his beliefs he had problems with the church leaders and unfortunately had to resign (Pick-Jones, 2016). After founding his own church and moving to California, his marriage began to suffer (Steel, 1999). Marceline, his wife, wanted a divorce because of Jones' extra-marital affairs (Steel, 1999). According to Steel (1999), Jones was insecure and domineering, causing Marceline to abandon her views and believe in what he believed. In view of this, their son Stephan Jones had little respect for him and even attempted suicide using his father's drugs (Steel 1999). These factors might have caused his narcissistic personality to grow, wanting more control over others. Later on, after moving to Guyana, he faced a custody battle (Yates, 2014). Grace Stoen, a member of Peoples Temple left the congregation and Jones was infuriated (Yates, 2014). Yates (2014) found that Tim Stoen, Grace's husband, had signed an affidavit stating Victor, their son, was not biologically his. He stated Victor was the son of Jim Jones and gave legal custody to him; this was the perfect excuse for Jones to fight back. After the migration to Guyana, Tim joined forces with Grace to fight for Victor (Yates, 2014). According to Yates (2014), Jones did not attend the citations in court and consequently they gave the custody to Grace. Unfortunately, before Victor could make it back to his mother, he died in the Jonestown massacre. This custody battle might have been one of the last crucial points in the decision of Jones to convince his followers of suicide, seeing no outlet to having to return the child back.
Although Jones led more than 900 people to their deaths, he was a very functional man in society. His Global Assessment of Functioning is a 95 as he was successful at work and in relationships. One cannot say he was a 100 because as seen above his marriage and the custody case did not demonstrate that good of a relationship. Jones and his work as a leader were an exemplar to society. His church was known for its social activism and the help it provided to the disabled, and he himslef was a model for his commitment in social equality (Wunrow, 2014). With this, he attracted many followers into his church. In 1968 he had 300 followers, but by 1973 he already had two and a half thousand members (Pick-Jones, 2016). He also cultivated relationships with different powerful political figures using the congregation's money to influence them (Pick-Jones, 2016). Jones, being a strong preacher and leader, had society at his feet, making him the God of his times. No one would imagine this highly functional, highly influential man was going to make a terrible decision.
Jim Jones' life experiences helped shape his character in becoming the main element in the mass suicide at Jonestown. He experienced solitude as a child, but as grew older he was surrounded by love and friendship. Unfortunately, his disorder did not let him give love back to his surrounding congregation. His sick mind did not let him have a happy marriage either. Jones' life was not easy from the reader's point of view, but for him it must have been glory to have such power over so many people. He may not have lived up to his expectations in the last days of his life, but he will go down in history. He will be remembered as the man who brought racial discrimination to an end in his own little big world, but who was also guilty of his own decline.