Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology

Biography

Biography: Yacov Rofe

Abstract

Both psychoanalysis and medical models, the two theoretical empires of psychological empires of mental disorders, suffer from serious theoretical and empirical difficulties (see Rofé, 2000, 2010; Rofé & Rofé, 2013, 2015). In an attempt to resolve the theoretical confusion in this field, a new theory was proposed termed, Psycho-Bizarreness: An intuitive Rational-Choice Theory of Madness. Basically, this theory claims that when individuals are confronted with intolerable levels of current stress, they are likely to choose a mad behavior when other options, such as suicide, drug abuse, and antisocial behaviors, are unavailable or too costly. The major benefit of madness is repression, which the new theory defines in line with Freud's (1915, p. 147) original suggestion, as distraction. The distractive effect of the mad behaviors is so strong that it blocks the accessibility of stress-related thoughts. Hence, while Freud claimed that repression causes madness, according to Psycho-Bizarreness Theory (PBT), madness results in repression. Accordingly, the choice of a specific mad behavior is determined by the same principles used in consumer decision-making when purchasing a specific economic product. Lack of awareness of the Knowledge of Self-Involvement (KSI) is induced through sophisticated information processing that causes the forgetting of KSI and enables the development of a self-deceptive belief. As already demonstrated, PBT can integrate all studies pertaining to the development and treatment of neuroses and psychos into one theoretical framework (see Rofé, 2000, 2010; Rofé & Rofé, 2013, 2015).