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THE ORIGINS OF PEACE AND VIOLENCE Deprivation of Physical Affection as a Main Cause of Depression, Aggression and Drug Abuse |
For almost half a century, Dr. James W. Prescott has served to end human suffering through scientific research and advocacy. After 50 plus years of being self-funded, Dr. Prescott cannot carry the message further without your help. Please consider making a contribution today.
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INTRODUCTION | SCIENCE | POLITICS | LINKS |
Not only have politicians until today failed to acknowledge the scientific reality of somatosensory-affectional deprivation (S-SAD) and its devastating effects on the human brain, the pioneering research by Dr. Prescott and his colleagues has been cancelled and covered up, under the false pretext that research on the origins of violence and on child abuse and neglect was "outside the scope of NICHD responsibilities". This section of the website tries to document the politics and history of violence research.
"The Four Trojan Horsemen of the Apocalypse"Dr. Prescott's work, popularized by the 1975 article Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence, has been reprinted and cited numerous times in the literature. However, in the late eighties and nineties it has mostly been forgotten (a failure which is hopefully corrected by this website and others that followed it). Please read:
Disseminating the message: From the Futurist to Carl Sagan
The obstruction, cancellation, and cover-up of the research
Dr. Prescott, as a scientist and humanist, is still very active in promoting political and social change based on his findings, in spite of resistance from the "moral majority". Below you can find some of his letters and viewpoints.
Prescott, J.W. June 2016 Two Cultural Brains A synthesis of SSAD Theory that describes the dominant role that PAIN and PLEASURE have in shaping the developing brain (1. The sub-cortical emotional-social sexual brain; that is shaped primarily by the Matrilineal Cultures (Pleasure); and 2. the neocortical rational symbolic brain that is shaped primarily by the Patrilineal Cultures (Pain) that forms the Gender Equality Equation thar exist throughout the World Cultures.
http://www.violence.de/prescott/letters/Simone_de_Beauvoir.html
http://www.violence.de/prescott/letters/Profiles_Peaceful_v_Violent.pdf
The philosophical roots of these two dimensions of life are listed under the Theistic Religions and the Earth Religions.
There are 55 Exclusively Matrilineal Cultures and 150 Exclusively Patrilineal Cultures in the 400 Culture sample of Textor (1967).
Exclusively Matrilineal Cultures are extinct in modern human cultures. Patrilineal/Patriarchal Cultures dominate many cultures of the modern world.
Transforming violent cultures into peaceful cultures is not possible, without neutralizing Patrilineal/Patriarchal cultures and restoring Matrifocal cultures, as human history has recognized.
Textor, .R.B.(1967) A Cross-Cultural Summary (New Haven,: Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) Press
CLICK HERE
Rabbi Nathan A. Barack and James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Letter Exchange
Letter exchange about the article "Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence". Published in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, March 1976 (pp. 61-62). (last modified ).
Roger E. Greeley: Ingersoll On the Liberty of Man, Woman and Child.
Robert Green Ingersoll was the greatest champion and spokesman for the liberty of man, woman and child in the 19th Century. The Truth Seeker May/June (1989) (last modified )
Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace. (S736: 1893) Woman and Natural Selection. Interview.
Editor Charles H. Smith's Note: An anonymous interview printed on page three of the 4 December 1893 number of the Daily Chronicle.
"And are women to be the chief factors in bringing about this great reformation?"
"Yes; the hope of the future lies with women. When such social changes have been effected, that no woman will be compelled, either by hunger, isolation or social compulsion, to sell herself either in prostitution or uncongenial wedlock; when all women alike shall feel the refining influence of a true humanising education, of beautiful and elevating surroundings, and when there is an educated public opinion -- note that specially." said Dr. Wallace. FULL TEXT
Calderone, M.D. Mary (1978). Letter from Mary Calderone, M.D. to Larry and Althea Flynt concerning the Foundation For Human Development that Larry was going to establish. A great deal was lost in the lost conversion. February 13. Click HERE. (last modified )
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. (1979). Alienation of Affection.
Psychology Today. December. Reprinted in The Truth Seeker March/April (1989) (last modified )
Ten Principles of Mother-Infant Bonding for Health, Happiness and Harmony by James W. Prescott, Ph.D.
Dr. Prescott's concise summary of his practical recommendations for child rearing based on his research.
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. (1989): Sixteen Principles for Personal, Family and Global Peace
The Truth Seeker March/April (last modified )
Thomas Paine (1775): An Occasional Letter On The Female Sex.
Reprinted. The Truth Seeker May/June (1989) (last modified )
James W. Prescott (1989). Social-Behavioral Characteristics of Affectionate/Nurturant and Non-Affectionate/Non-Nurturant Primitive Cultures.
The Truth Seeker July/August. Summarizes the social-behavioral characteristics of nurturing and non-nurturing societies derived from the author's study of data on tribal cultures in R.B. Textor, A Cross-Cultural Summary, 1967. (last modified )
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: The Truth About Sexual Monogamy
The Truth Seeker, November/December 1989, pp. 44-46 (last modified ).
Ibogaine & the Drugs of Religion
The Truth Seeker Fall 1990 (last modified )
- James W. Prescott, Ph.D. (1990). Addiction: Nature vs Nurture--Again?
- Harrison G. Pope, Jr. (1990). Tabernanthe iboga: An African Narcotic.
- James W. Fernandez (1989). Tabernanthe Iboga: Narcotic Ecstasis and the Work of the Ancestors.
- James W. Prescott, Ph.D (1990). Drugs, Religion and the Healing Process.
Bonnie Lange, President, Truth Seeker (1991). Letter to Dr. Prescott informing him of the termination of his position as Editor, Truth Seeker - "We have become too hardcore scientific". January 16. Click HERE. (last modified )
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: OPINION. The challenge: achieve gender equality.
An essay devoted to the necessity of gender equality in the Congress, a necessary but insufficient condition for women to gain equality with men that has been denied by the theistic religions. It took over 144 years for women to gain the equal right to vote; it is now time to complete the remainder of the revolution: the equal right to representation in the Congress. The San Diego Union-Tribune December 10. 1995 (last modified )
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Letter to the New York Times
Jailing Mothers Is Always Too-Harsh Justice. Letter to The New York Times, published on August 21 1996 (last modified ).
Robert G. Heath, M.D. Letter to Dr. Prescott
Letter of December 22, 1998, granting permission to post on our website "any or all of my published articles concerning the role of the cerebellum in behavior. This includes my studies with the isoltion raised monkeys that you provided for me - and the subsequent procedures (which) are developed for treating intractably ill patients." (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Marilyn Fayre Milos and George C. Denniston (1999). Circumcision: Human Rights & Ethical Medical Practice.
The Humanist, Volume 59, Number 3, Pages 45-46, May-June.
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Letter to the White House
May 1999 initiative (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph. D: Letter to Al Gore
Letter to Vice President Albert Gore and Mrs. Tipper Gore, September 3 1999. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Letter to Congressman Brian Bilbray
March 20 2000 letter regarding homicidal and suicidal deaths of children. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Second Letter to Congressman Brian Bilbray
March 22 2000 letter regarding the White House history of indifference to important research on the causes of violence. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Letter to Wesley Pruden, Editor in Chief: Washington Times
May 5 2000 letter, attempt to bring attention to the causes of suicide and homicide among youths (last modified ).
Arguments Against S-SAD Theory
History shows that societies which suppress body pleasure are more successful. Or does it? (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. Letter to Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH.
Letter of 4 March 2003 concerning priorities of the genome project and why the bonobo chimpanzee was not selected for study, as it is the most peaceful and non-violent primate on the planet. It was emphasized that human violence is the principal health problem of the world. A bureaucratic letter was received that did not address the issues raised in the letter. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. Letter to Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH.
Letter of 14 March 2003 that was a follow-up of the letter of 5 March 2003 that questioned the health priorities of the genome project. The bovine genome is substantially less important than the genome of the bonobo chimpanzee (Pan paniscus). No response received. (last modified ).
Duane Alexander: Response to Dr. Prescott's letter
June 26 2003 response by Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, to Dr. Prescott which confirms the continuing denial of the research conducted under Prescott's leadership in the past (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: GENITAL MUTILATION OF CHILDREN: FAILURE OF HUMANITY AND HUMANISM
An essay in support of the Petition to the World Congress, 25th Anniversary of the Council for Secular Humanism. Unprinted manuscript (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Letter to Dr. Thomas R. Insel, Director, NIMH.
Letter from October 6th, 2004 concerning his Submitted Statement: "NIH Violence Research: Is Past Prologue? Lessons Learned From 1994-2004", concerning their Conference: "Preventing Violence and Related Health-Risking Social Behaviors in Adolescents: An NIH State-of-The Science Conference." It was recommended that the failures to implement the recommendations of the 1994 NIH Conference on Violence be reviewed by the 2004 NIH Conference on Violence; and to recognize that teenage violence cannot be resolved without addressing how teen behaviors are shaped by their early life experiences. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Submitted Statement: "NIH Violence Research: Is Past Prologue? Lessons Learned From 1994-2004",
concerning their Conference: "Preventing Violence and Related Health-Risking Social Behaviors in Adolescents: An NIH State-of-The Science Conference." (October 13-15, 2004). Attention is drawn to the critical role of breastfeeding bonding for the prevention of violence, particularly suicide, which deprives the developing brain of critical nutrients for brain neurotransmitter development (Tables 2 and 7); and supporting cross-cultural data on weaning age 2.5 years or greater with low or absent suicide. (Table 3). (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Letter to Dr. Zerhouni, Director, NIH
Letter of 11 February 2005 concerning the failure of the American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on "Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk" to address the failed consequences of Breastfeeding Bonding upon brain development and behavior and requesting corrective actions that included documentation of deleterious effects of failed Breastfeeding Bonding upon brain-behavioral development. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Letter to Dr. Gartner, Chairman, Section on Breastfeeding, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Letter of 11 February 2005 requesting that he distribute my letter to Dr. Zerhouni to the members of his Committee on Breastfeeding and to take corrective actions. This letter went unacknowledged. (last modified ).
Dr. Alexander, Director National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to Dr. Prescott
Letter of 17 March 2005 which was in response to Dr. Prescott's letter to Dr. Zerhouni. This letter acknowledged that "I am unable to comment on the perceived deficiencies and omission in the recent American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk". No concern was expressed on the relationship between low/impaired breastfeeding bonding and suicide that was documented in the letter to Dr. Zerhouni and which begged the question that such studies were too difficult to conduct since "two-thirds of all mothers in the U.S. and four-fifths of African-American mothers have weaned their infants by six moths of age" (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.: Letter to Paul Kurtz, Chairperson, Council for Secular Humanism
Letter of 27 September 2005 for Secular Humanism's 25th Anniversary World Congress that requests the World Congress to endorse the Ashley Montagu Resolution To End The Genital Mutilation of Children Worldwide: A Petition to the World Court, The Hague. This action of the World Congress would reverse the egregious errors of the past by the Council for Secular Humanism, the International Humanist and Ethical Union, the American Humanist Association and the American Ethical Union that refused to endorse this resolution, which has been endorsed by Nobel Laureate Francis Crick; Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire; Dr. Jonas Salk and many other distinguished humanists, citizens and scientists.(see http://www.montagunocircpetition.org)
(last modified )
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. Letter to Dr.Duane Alexander, Director, NICHD.
Letter of 28 October 2005 that summarizes the minimum nutritional requirements of the essential amino acids as described in The Merck Manual, 15th Ed (1987) and 17 Ed (1999-2005) for infants, children and adults and which highlights the increased amino acid requirements for Tryptophan (293% increase) and Tyrosine/Phenylalanine (478% increase) that is not reflected in changes in commercial infant formula to reflect these revised standards; additional cross-cultural data on 65 tribal cultures which document that 86% of cultures that have weaning age of 2.5 years or greater are rated low or absent in suicide; and request for reversal of my wrongful termination. Request to convene an Inter-Federal Agency panel to review documents and initiate biobehavioral and MRI brain scan studies to document impaired brain-behavioral development due to infant formula feeding and impaired maternal-infant/child bonding. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. Letter to Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director, NIH
Letter of 28 October 2005 with copy of Dr. Alexander's letter requesting that he take corrective actions, as recommended in letter to Dr. Alexander. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. Letter to Dr. Lawrence Gartner, Chairperson, Section on Breastfeeding, American Academy of Pediatrics
Letter of 28 October 2005 with request to distribute letters to members of his Section on Breastfeeding and to take corrective actions. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. Letter to DHHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt
Letter of 2 Feb 06 that reviews scientific evidence that infant formula milk is malnutrition for normal brain development and behavior and to establish a DHHS Committee to review the evidence submitted and to take corrective actions. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. Letter to Dr. Zerhouni, Director, NIH
Letter of 3 Feb 06 with copy of letter sent to DHHS Secretary Leavitt, that establishes the scientific evidence that infant formula milk is deficient in the essential amino acids which constitutes malnutrition for brain function and behavior that threatens the physical and behavioral health of generations of American children that requires immediate corrective actions. A request to distribute letter to DHHS Secretary Leavitt to the Directors of the various National Institute of Health concerned with the health of infants and children was made. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. Letter to Dr. Alexander, Director, NICHD
Letter of 3 Feb 06 with a copy of the letter sent to DHHS Secretary Leavitt. Dr. Alexander's rejection of the scientific evidence that nutritional deficiencies of infant formula milk and insufficient breastfeeding bonding leads to brain-behavioral disorders was deplored. A request was made to distribute the article "Prevention or Therapy and The Politics of Trust: Inspiring a New Human Agenda" to the various NIH Institute Directors concerned with the health of infants and children and the future of human societies was made. This article reviews the complexities of culture that support either peaceful or violent cultures. (last modified ).
Dr. Duane Alexander, Director, NICHD/NIH letter to Dr. Prescott
Letter of 10 January 2006. Dr. Alexander rejects my analysis of infant dietary requirements of the essential amino acids based upon the recommendations contained in the Merck Manual (15th and 17th editions). Dr. Alexander also summarily rejects my tribal cross-cultural data that establishes strong linkages between weaning age of 2.5 years or greater with low or absent suicide, as "sound data". "This Institute, as I stated before, certainly supports breastfeeding, although sound data are lacking on benefits for the duration you advocate, or on the behavioral associations you claim". The breastfeeding projects that the NICHD supports remain unspecified. Letter reflects indifference to biobehavioral research findings and lack of research on the benefits of breastfeeding for "two years of age and beyond", as recommended by WHO and UNICEF. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. Letter to Dr. Gartner, Chairperson, Section on Breastfeeding, American Academy of Pediatrics,
Letter of 3 Feb 06, that cites the negligence of his Committee to review the relevant published scientific studies on the nutritional deficiencies of infant formula milk for normal brain behavioral development, as contained in the AAP Policy Statement "Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk" (2005) and to take corrective actions. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. letter Dr. Charles H. Halstead, Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Letter of February 15, 2006 that alerts him to the dangers of infant formula feeding for the formation of the brain neurotransmitters necessary for social bonding and requesting his support for a national review of this subject by DHHS Secretary Leavitt and the urgent need to take corrective actions. (last modified ).
Charles H. Halsted, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
E-mail response to Dr. Prescott's letter of 15 February 2006 requesting his support for national inquiries into the malnutrition of infant formula milk upon brain-behavioral development, which contributes to the development of the neurodissociative brain. Dr. Prescott's reply regrets his refusal to become involved in this national public health issue that affects the lives of millions of children. (last modified ).
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. letter to DHHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt
Letter of February 15, 2006 alerting him to the letter sent to Dr. Halstead concerning the dangers of infant formula milk and impaired breastfeeding bonding for brain-behavioral development and the urgent need to take corrective actions. (last modified ).
WHO/UNICEF (1990). Innocenti Declaration. On the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding.
Florence, Italy--1 August. (last modified ).
WHO: THE OPTIMAL DURATION OF EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING Results of a WHO systematic review -- 2 April 2001
This WHO special report relies upon somatic growth, motor development and clinical disease states to assess the optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding. There are no measures of infant/child brain development in healthy, well-nourished mothers to define healthy neural development consequent to breastfeeding compared to infant formula feeding. A WHO conclusion: "The available evidence is grossly inadequate to assess risks of deficiency in other micronutrients". This has particular relevance, as the essential amino acids are deficient in infant formula milk. See http://violence.de/prescott/ttf/cultbrain.pdf (last modified ).
International Humanist and Ethical Union - General Assembly 2006, New York City Resolution on Male Circumcision. "Urges IHEU member organizations to oppose the practice of male circumcision for non-medical reasons." Click HERE for full statement.
See http://www.montagunocircpetition.org, http://www.webmagician.com/fightcirc/, http://www.nocirc.org for additional information on circumcision.
INFANT MORTALITY IN DELAWARE: FAILURE OF A PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM. In August 2005, the Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Jaime Rivera, M.D. FAAP, Director issued a report "The Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) in Delaware: Findings From the Pilot Study and Lessons Learned About Implementing a Statewide FIMR". or by DHSS Publication site
Correspondence and Supporting Documentation. Dr. Prescott, Dr. Rivera and Governor Minner.
The principle findings of this report were published in the Cape Gazette (March 14, 2006), which prompted a series of correspondence between this writer and Dr. Rivera. Delaware has a high infant mortality of 8.1 deaths per 1,000 live births with a rank of 40th among the States in infant morality rates--one of the worst in the United States (America's Health Rankings 2005 Ed. http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/)
One of the questions posed to Dr. Rivera: what was the number and percentage of infants who died during the first year of life that were being actively breastfed at the time of their death? Dr. Rivera's response: "Currently, DPH does not have data on the number and or percentages of infants who were actively breastfed at the time of their deaths"(Lt 9 May 2006). Dr. Rivera refused to make the effort to obtain this information; refused to take the effort to assure that the weaning age of every child be made a part of the immunological record; and concluded our correspondence with "It is my hope that his response concludes our correspondence related to this issue. I am sorry, but I have no further information to provide" (Lt May 19,2006). Other issues are addressed in the correspondence.
The letters of correspondence. -- Click HERE
Supporting documentation
- Delay of Breastfeeding increases neonatal mortality: New Study
- The United States with a rate of 6.43 deaths per 1,000 live births ranks 42th in infant mortality rate. That is worse then impoverished Cuba which ranks 40th in infant mortality in the 226 nation states listed by the CIA. Singapore has the 1st rank world record on infant mortality with 2.29 deaths per 1,000 live births. The US-Goverment CIA World Factbook Rankorder (Note: The CIA WORLD FACTBOOK assigns Rank ONE to the highest infant mortality rate.)
- Dr. Prescott`s article on breastfeeding (1997)
- AMERICA'S HEALTH RANKINGS, STATE RANKINGS-Infant Mortality Rate 2002, THE CIA WORLDFACT BOOK: Infant Mortality Rates (March 2006) -- Click HERE
- "Documents that breastfeeding in tribal cultures for 2.5 years or longer prevents depression and suicide in 77% of 26 tribal cultures studied." Prescott (2005) in: Psychotherapy and Politics International 3(3):194-211.
James W. Prescott, Ph.D. (2007). INFANT MORTALITY & TOXIC ENVIRONMENTS: DELAWARE AT RISK August 24. Reviews the role that toxic environments have on fetal/perinatal and infant mortality. Delaware has the sixth worst infant mortality rate in the U.S. and one of the worst polluters in the United States through the coal-fired Indian River Power plant. Fetal/perinatal mortality may be a better predictor of the consequences of the toxic environment than infant mortality. Maps of intrauterine and postnatal deaths by zip code is proposed to illustrate death clusters due to sources of environmental toxins comparable to the findings of John Snow who identified a polluted well in the cholera epidemic of London in 1854 and ended the epidemic by removing the well's pump handle.
Prescott letter of 1 September 2007 to Edward J. Sondik, Ph.D., Director, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC requesting assistance to map fetal/perinatal and infant mortality deaths for the State of Delaware to identify the Indian River coal-fired power plant as a source of these deaths and other requests. Click HERE