Psychopaths: The Evil Spectrum

AFTERWORD

Jan 05, 2025

Afterword

In this book, we explore different theoretical perspectives on psychopathy, drawn from various disciplines concerned with the study of human behaviour: Psychoanalysis, Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience.

Each of these fields employs its own methods, concepts, and classification systems, which helps explain why diagnosing psychopathy remains such a complex task. Yet, one point of consensus has emerged: at the core of this disorder lies a dysfunction in neural circuits associated with empathy—a feature also shared by Cluster B personality disorders.

When researchers examined the brains of Romanian orphans—deprived of emotional bonds from birth—they found a literal "black hole" in the region where the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) should have been. This structure is involved in empathy, emotional regulation, affective valuation of stimuli, and even the experience of aesthetic pleasure.

These findings align with those of psychoanalyst Sue Gerhardt. In Why Love Matters, she presents neuroscientific evidence highlighting the decisive impact of early emotional interactions on brain development—especially during the first 1,000 days of life, starting at conception.

Contrary to the notion of a preexisting or gradually constructed personality, Gerhardt proposes that basic patterns of emotional and relational responses are "written" into the brain as a direct result of the love, care, and security received in early life.

Cortisol plays a central role in this process. Around six months of age, the ideal level of this hormone begins to stabilise, strongly influenced by the quality of early relationships. Infants exposed to ongoing stress develop dysfunctions in this hormonal axis.

Excess cortisol production is associated with conditions like phobia and depression—frequently seen in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Conversely, insufficient cortisol production is linked to emotional detachment and aggression—features typically observed in Narcissistic (NPD), Histrionic (HPD), and Antisocial (ASPD) profiles.

These findings support the hypothesis that psychopathy does not only have a specific neural basis, but also an aetiology rooted in clearly defined causes at a critical developmental window. Whether an individual becomes capable of living their humanity fully—or only partially—appears to depend largely on those early experiences.

Thus, protection against psychopathy does not lie in diagnoses or incarceration, but in public policies that ensure care and affection during the first 1,000 days of life. It is in the womb and in a caregiver's arms that the foundation of a more humane society begins.

Thays Cristina da Nóbrega Cunha

São Paulo, 14 May 2025

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About the Author

After four years at the World Bank/IFC in Washington, D.C., I decided to change careers and returned to France as Deputy Director of MBA Career Management Services at INSEAD.

It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. That transition led me into an entirely new universe. I earned certifications in Coaching and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), followed by four years of training in Psychoanalysis and, more recently, completed a Specialisation in Neuroscience and Applied Psychology.

In parallel, I worked as a consultant at YSC — a global Organisational Psychology consultancy based in London, now part of the Accenture group — where I assessed the personalities of hundreds of executives.

In 2020, I began working on behavioural assessment and leadership development projects for the United Nations (UN), through ODRL, also from London. And in my own consultancy, I support clients in search of self-awareness.

This journey has given me a unique opportunity to study and learn about human nature — both in theory and in practice. It has also allowed me to directly observe and experience a wide range of personality disorders.

This was the knowledge I shared in this book, originally written in 2017. Finally, in 2023 — after long reflections during the pandemic and inspired by Janina, the engineer who turns to astrology to solve crimes in the work of Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk — Snakes in Skirts, a project devoted to unveiling the complexities of female psychopathy, was born.

To read my posts, follow linkedin.com/in/thays-da-nobrega-cunha.

Book signing, on 26 May 2025.

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🩸Finished Psychopaths: The Evil Spectrum? Now step into the fiction that feels disturbingly real…

If this book gave you clarity about psychopathic traits in real life, then you're ready for a haunting journey into stories inspired by true events — wrapped in fiction that hits uncomfortably close to home.

🐍 Snakes in Skirts
Meet Dr. Clara — a neuroscientist and psychoanalyst with a passion for astrology. In brief but gripping therapy sessions with her client Sophia, she unearths the dark reality of psychopathic mothers.

Snakes in Skirts is a novel — but every case you’ll read is rooted in real, lived experiences. Some were shared exclusively for this book; others I encountered throughout my work in psychological assessment.

With sharp perception, scientific grounding, and rare astrological insights, Dr. Clara becomes a soul detective, guiding us through a labyrinth of disturbing, eye-opening stories of maternal manipulation, cruelty, and control.