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Burgess et al. / SEXUAL. HOMICIDE entitlement to whatever they can get dominate their perceptions. Their social isolation and aggression interact, restricting sexual development based on caring, pleasure, and companionship. Because they are so isolated, the men have little opportunity for interpersonal experiences that might modify their. misconceptions about themselves and others. Their personal affective lives become dependent on fantasy for development. In turn, fantasy becomes the primary source of emotional arousal and that emotion is a confused mixture of sex and aggression. Cognitive Mapping and Processing Cognitive mapping refers to the structure and development of thinking patterns that give both control and development to one's internal life (e.g., one's sense of self and beliefs about the worid) and link the individual to the social environment (e.g., one's interpretation of others). The process of. cognitive mapping generates the meaning of events for an individual and mediates sensory arousal patterns. Additionally, it is a filtering system that allov s for interpretation of new information(e.g., "I'm always being singled out"; "It - -ny life and I can live it my own way"). Cognitive mapping and processing aue med at self-preservation and equilibrium through the reduc- tion of the negative affects of helplessness, terror, and pervasive anxiety. In the murderers, the mapping is repetitive and lacking socially enhancing cognitions, moving the individual to an antisocial position and view of the world. What emerges is a primary sense of entitlement to express oneself regardless of its impact on others. The thought and action are justified through the cognitive mapping of the murderer. The individual does not experience a positive impact with the social environment. This occurs because his fantasies and thinking patterns are a substitute for social relation- ships. They are designed to stimulate and reduce tension. A sense of self is developed and bolstered by the fantasies. The self-image is terrifying to imagined others and contributes to further social isolation. The process continues and becomes the primary source of energy for the psychological life of the individual. Imagined outcomes of control and dominance over others become a substitute for a sense of mastery of internal and external experience. Paralle! with the repetition of ideation of cognitive mapping is the neuro- hormonal influence on sensory arousal levels. The neurohormonal basis of the pleasure associated with aggressive fantasy activity is unknown. There is, however, substantial evidence that stressors elicit a central nervous system (CNS) opiod responses in both animals (stress-induced anaigesia) and human beings (van der Kolk, Greenberg, Boyd, & Krystal, 1984). Elevated plasma levels of endogenous opiates have been documented in marathon runners (Colt, Wardlaw, & Frantz, 1981), individuals who have undergone surgery (Cohen, 1982), and patients who engage in self-mutilation(Coid, 1983). This suggests that the source of the stressor may be external or internal. It also has 53