Socio-economist Dr. Randall Bell is often called the "Master of Disaster" and has consulted on tragedies around the world, including the 9-11 World Trade Center, and the Heaven's Gate mass suicides. In the first half, he discussed how to recover from trauma in one's personal life. Most people inevitably encounter some trauma in their lives, he noted, and he has developed a methodology for effectively dealing with it. We can heal from these traumas and, even better yet, tap into the emotional fuel that they generate and do something positive as a result of them, he added. Unresolved trauma typically involves a feeling of shock, disorientation, or intense emotions that can be triggered in everyday life, such as a soldier with PTSD reacting from hearing a car backfire.
One of the best methods for dealing with trauma is to confront the issue, even though it may be uncomfortable, he said, adding that many people make the mistake of bottling it up. "Sit in the fire" is a term used to describe a person processing their painful memories or experiences. Another step is to tangle out the different emotions surrounding a trauma, especially guilt and shame, which are different from each other. Bell shared how he felt a lot of shame as a child because he had a congenital heart defect that required two major surgeries, even though he'd done nothing wrong. Practicing gratitude and grounding exercises (such as deep breathing) can also combat the effects of trauma, he reported.
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Dr. Mark G. Hewitt is a true crime author and public speaker who travels the world in his quest to explore enduring mysteries. In the latter half, he shared his contention that the Zodiac Killer is actually Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, based on handwriting, codes, locations, literature, cultural references, and other unexpected details. Hewitt said he corresponded with Kaczynski during the time frame of 2009-10. He found that some of his wording was similar to letters and communications that the Zodiac Killer sent to the press and the police. Kaczynski had been working as a mathematician at UC-Berkeley, and just after he left the university in 1969, the first Zodiac murders took place in the Bay Area, Hewitt pointed out.
One link that stood out to Hewitt was that the Zodiac included two bomb diagrams as part of his letters, and Kaczynski was known for designing and sending out 16 bombs over 17 years. Further, the Zodiac sent out coded letters, and Kaczynski also used complex codes in some of his journals at his cabin, he cited. The novel "Secret Agent" by Joseph Conrad reflects themes and vocabulary that appear to have influenced the Zodiac, and the book has been said to be one of Kaczynki's favorites, Hewitt added. Even though Ted Kaczynski admitted to being the Unabomber, he does not want to be known as someone who is mentally ill-- that is one reason why he won't admit to the Zodiac killings, as he believes doing so would tarnish how people view his manifesto, Hewitt theorized. He also believes there is evidence that Kaczynski may have been behind the Chicago Tylenol murders of 1982.
News segment guests: Lauren Weinstein, Steve Kates