On the contrary, oftentimes these descendants are corrupted by the easy flow of riches to which they have become all too easily accustomed.
This corruption can lead, unfortunately, to vices such as alcoholism, addiction to certain baleful drugs, venereal diseases that can affect both body and mind, and states of distemper which reveal themselves through such external behavior as sadism, cruelty, and even extreme violence toward those not on the same social level. Idle hands are the Devilâs playground all too often, and I predict that in time these same gentlemen who have proven so generous with their donations and investments may call upon me to succor their own offspring from the hands of legal authorities who have found their actions objectionable, if not also criminal. Indeed, I have had some inform me privately that they wish to house their own relatives here, removing them from the cold and uncomfortable clinics in which they now reside. To that purpose, it has been suggested that the furnishings and appurtenances of my sanitarium should be of a standard far higher than those in institutions already in existence. It shall be so.
When the time comes, I will have no hesitation in admitting these unfortunates. I truly believe that nearly all criminal acts, be they destructive to others or to oneself, are the result of illnesses of the mind, and can in time be cured. The children of these wealthy families will not go to prison, but will come here. They will come and be cured.
Though I have not as yet revealed to my erstwhile investors the techniques I hope to utilize to bring about these cures, in my own mind, and in this most private journal, I shall refer to it as Spiritual Repulsion Therapy. It stems from the concept that if malefactors and perpetrators are exposed to the spiritual results of their transgressions, the core morality that lies within the heart and mind of every man and woman will be touched and transformed. It is a psychological exploration of Christâs Golden Rule and the more homespun notion of walking a mile in the other fellowâs shoes.
The technique is dependent upon the structural plant of the building as well as the dedication and skills of those who work within it, and now that funding for the construction is completed, it is time to discuss with the buildersâand with them aloneâthe final physical plans that will allow me to bring Spiritual Repulsion Therapy to vibrant and healing life at the Ollinger Sanitarium.
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In psychotherapy, the dramatic breakthrough moments are few and far between. In most cases, progress is achieved an inch at a time, with a slow and constant breaking down of a patientâs defenses. For every instance of a patient suddenly shouting out, I remember everything now! there are a thousand cases like that of Norman Bates, in which steady attrition wears away the psychological guards the patient has erected, like rain wearing away a mountain.
At times the process felt that slow to Felix Reed, but he persisted, spending as much time out of every day as he could with Norman, speaking slowly and softly, reasoning with the patience of Socrates, though there were no questions from Norman for him to answer.
And ever so slowly and softly there were responses, slight and physical. There were twitches of a hand, the tiny jerk of a head, an occasional shift in the gaze, things that told Reed that Norman was performing the mental task of listening as well as the merely physiological response of hearing.
And when these responses occurred, Reed persisted, trying to widen the mental crack that Norman had allowed in his otherwise impregnable psyche. He tried subtly to disabuse Norman of the notion that his late mother had any control over him, to command or to punish.
In this strategy, Reed used Nurse Marie Radcliffe as his chief ally. Every time she fed Norman, she spoke continually to him, but softly and slowly, as slowly as Norman