52 A Programmer’s Guide to the Mind
Other cognitive styles can block off parts of their mind and still
function to some extent. I suggest that the Mercy person does not have this
„luxury,‟ because Mercy thought plays a pivotal role in human mental
integration. Mercy strategy, as we have suggested, is the first to operate in
a child. This is because we live in physical bodies which „feed‟ our minds
with experiences of pain and pleasure. The rest of the mind develops later,
and is held together by the core of personal identity which is located first
and foremost within the internal Mercy world.A
Therefore, if the Mercy person blocks off part of his conscious room,
he is dissolving the „glue‟ which holds his mind together. The result will be
major mental fragmentation. But, because the Mercy person cannot see the
rest of his mind, he will not immediately realize the repercussions of his
decision to suppress painful memories. However, the mental networks
which he has quarantined will continue to operate under the surface—
without being supervised by conscious thought.
Schizophrenia
I suggest that this mental divorce can account for the symptoms which
are present in schizophrenia. First, the schizophrenic person begins to hear
voices. In the same way that Mercy strategy uses emotions and
concentration to work with experiences and identity, we will see later that
Teacher strategy uses emotions and concentration to process words and
understanding.B I suggest that these two mental modes are responsible for
emotionally driving the rest of the mind.C If the Mercy person abrogates
conscious control over some part of his mind, then subconscious Teacher
strategy will take control over these suppressed fragments, and this aspect
of subconscious thought will then be driven by words and understanding,
which the Mercy person will hear as internal voices. The Mercy person put
up his mental wall of partition, originally, because he did not like what was
on the other side of the room. Given that mental foundation, the words and
off part of his Mercy room for many different reasons. In addition, minor
brain damage can predispose a person into becoming a schizophrenic.
A It is possible for the emotional center of personhood to move elsewhere,
but because of the human body, its first location is within Mercy thought.
B Unfortunately, we have to mention things here which we have not yet
discussed. Teacher strategy, for instance, is involved in symptoms of
schizophrenia. Treatment for schizophrenia, in contrast, involves Exhorter
thought, because the drugs which are given to schizophrenics affect
Exhorter strategy and not Mercy thought.
C We said that the Exhorter part is the source of emotional drive. It gets its
input in turn from the Teacher and Mercy parts. These two strategies
provide the emotional labeling which controls Exhorter thought.