Theodore Kaczynski: The Unabomber

Background and Family History Theodore Kaczynski, now known famously as “The Unabomber”, was born in Illinois in 1942. Those who knew him as a child described him as awkward and socially reserved, possibly from the fact that he is a certified genius with an I.Q. of 167 (Crime Museum, 2017). At the age of 15 Kaczynski began attending Harvard and completed his PhD in Mathematics by the age of 25 (Crime Museum, 2017). While at Harvard, Kacynzski participated in a three-year long experiment where he was tormented and humiliated (Moreno, 2012). Some believe that this experiment left him with permanent psychological damage that ultimately lead to his actions. In addition, during his time at Harvard Kaczynski became passionate about anti-technology. He believed society return to a wild nature where people could once again become one with nature and live based on their needs (Moreno, 2012). After graduating

Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D. (n.d.), believes that Kazynski suffered from damage to his amygdala at the age of 9 months old when he was hospitalized. After becoming ill and developing a dangerous case of the hives, he was taken to the hospital where his parents were forbidden to hold him for over a month (Johnson, n.d.). Prior to this experience, his mother described him as a normal, happy child. However, it seems that after he was released, his behavior was never quite normal again- he stopped responding to affection and other social stimulation and became very withdrawn (Johnson, n.d.). Since the amygdala contributes to emotional processing, his mother and many others believe that the isolation and severe stress Kaczynski experienced as a baby lead to amygdala damage. It is quite possible that this damage contributed to his antisocial tendencies, lack of fear from being caught, and apparent absence of empathy for his