What is Dissociative Identity Disorder? Bryan Kohberger's web posts reveal lack of empathy, expert says
This article is based on sources, and MEAWW cannot verify this information independently.
MOSCOW, IDAHO: The probe into the murders of the four University of Idaho students, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20, has somewhat concluded with the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, 28. Since then, a number of experts have been analyzing Kohberger's mental health and traits, offering their own theories about the same.
Recently, noted neuroscientist James Fallon examined Kohberger's mental condition and suggested the Idaho suspect may have a "dissociative disorder," which results in an "extraordinary" struggle to empathize with others and oneself.
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What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?
People with dissociative identity disorder (DID), a mental illness, have two or more split personalities. These identities influence a person's behavior at various times. DID can lead to memory lapses and other issues. As reported by the Cleveland Clinic, people with DID can manage their symptoms with multiple psychotherapies.
Speaking on the matter, Fallon reportedly said, "You have, on the top of your head, a GPS system. What it does is put together your whole world – tells you where your eyes are in relation to your head, in relationship to the world," adding, "And then it adds in emotion to that, and that apparatus seems to be damaged. He doesn't even connect with himself, he doesn't have self-empathy which is extraordinary."
Fallon continued, "This lack of empathy towards others and himself can often be seen in psychopaths – I'm not saying he's a psychopath, but it's such a curious combination of things," as per Express.
The New York Times reported that Kohberger wrote the said posts when he was a teenager, showing his self-described lack of emotion and any remorse for his acts. They were written and posted on the Tapatalk forum in 2011.
Bryan Kohberger's visual snow syndrome
Kohberger reportedly claimed to be reeling from a condition known as visual snow. The condition, which is classified as a type of visual hallucination by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is characterized by the perception of small, bilateral, simultaneous, diffuse, mobile, and asynchronous dots—typically throughout the entire visual field, but it can also be partial—in all lighting conditions, even when the eyes are closed.
In 2017, in his final post, he appeared to have accepted his illness, as reported by MEAWW.
Bryan Kohberger's charges
Following his arrest for the killings, Kohberger, a PhD candidate at the Washington State University's Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, is now being charged with four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary.