THE SIGMUND PROJECT
CATHY O’DONNELL
Published by C. O’Donnell at Smashwords.
Copyright 2011 by C. O’Donnell
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
The Sigmund Project is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover Photography: C. O’Donnell
CHAPTER ONE
All is dark in the classrooms now. The rooms are empty and quiet. The doors are locked tight. The janitor has left. Only a single clock in the hallway breaks the silence. Classes are over for the day and the lives that filled the halls earlier have moved on into the evening. As the last bits of the day wink goodnight from the horizon some are in the library studying, others are having a late meal, while others meet up at the bar for a brew and a joke. The students, professors, and visiting locals settle into the night, satisfied for the most part with the day that has passed, and looking forward to the future.
It was a quiet night, hushed by an incoming ocean mist that cooled the evening air. There was a scent of sea water on the breeze. People had gone inside to shake off the last vestiges of winter. It had been a rainy winter, more than usual for the coast, flooding the low areas. Winter would gladly be put to rest by all. Students were gathered together, huddled in small groups. The goal for most was to create camaraderie’s for the coming solstice celebration and the greatest beach parties on the west coast.
Across campus, in a dorm room the size of most bathrooms, a student sits in deepening darkness. He is alone with his chair and desk and unlit lamp. There are two single beds in the room, a clothes rack, and a small bookcase too, but they have faded into no importance. All is quiet except the smooth pattern of his breathing. He sits letting the emptiness in his soul seep out into the room. Hope is deceased in his world, having crept away an inch at a time while no one was looking. He wishes for nothing, expects nothing, needs nothing. He just sits in so much determined calm that it would frighten the voyeur.
Opening the curtain he looks over the campus library at the rising crescent moon. Hanging there, without a thread to hold it up, it looks foreign, like a clipped fingernail that should fall to the ground. The student’s name is Alex and he’s trying to write a letter to his mother. He stares at the computer screen wondering what to write. Later, when the note is found, all that’s written is “Mom, I’ve always loved you.”
No other words form in his mind; no feeling asserts itself in his body. There is only a void space where his spirit should reside. He doesn’t feel sad or angry, he feels no longing or loss, there is only the vastness of space.
Alex closes the computer, setting it near the window sill. He sits motionless for a moment, quietly absorbing the darkness that surrounds him, then reaches for a box of matches. In slow motion he sparks a match, holding it up at eye level. Light flares throwing a shadow onto the desk as the flame dance silently for a moment. He holds the match to the wick of a single taper candle on the desk. The brass holder scraps the table as he slides the candle near. The noise seems loud in the deafening dark, but Alex doesn‘t hear it.
He gets lost in the candle’s light for just a fraction of time then reaches for the butane filler. Gas escapes as he tests the container. Raising it to his mouth he wraps his lips tightly around the valve while emptying his lungs through his nose. The movements would seem rehearsed if anyone were watching.
It’s all painless at first; the butane filling his lungs feels like air, only heavier. Alex isn’t sure if this is normal or if it is because his body has felt so numb for so long. Without hesitation he leans towards the dancing flame. Finishing the intake of breath is painful, very painful in fact as the fire from the candle ignites the gas in his lungs.
CHAPTER TWO
“Hey, Thomas, wait up.” Ben jogged down the sidewalk catching up quickly. Both were heading toward the classroom buildings.
“That’s T squared to you my surfer friend. T squared for Thomas Tyrone.”
“Surfer friend is it? I’ve only taken two lessons. That doesn’t qualify me as a surfer yet T.”
“Okay, okay. But I have high hopes for you and all your endeavors,” T squared replied with an optimistic smile.
“Spoken like a true lit major who’s enamored with words.” Ben shook his head laughing out loud.
Students flooded the sidewalks as classes let out, each shuffling to establish their space and hurry to the next agenda. 45,000 students pursuing 65 majors within 38 academic fields made plenty of foot traffic. The campus grounds were large enough to accommodate all but at this time of day the students were concentrated around the classrooms. Instruction for many of the students had begun two hours ago, yet some wouldn’t begin until after noon.
The University of California Santa Cruz spread out before them. Acres of educational potential overlooking the California coastline, Monterey Bay and Great Meadows. The award winning architecture of the Science and Engineering Library sat in the shadows of a rising sun off to their right and an area called Science Hill, consisting of a group of picture making science buildings, rose on their left. The university had maintained a reputation over the years in the science fields. Research conducted there had contributed to the advancement in molecular biology, sustainable food growth, genetic engineering, and many other areas.
Thomas had applied to this University because of the rich social life, intellectual diversity, and artistic appreciation that are present throughout the area. Santa Cruz, California is known as an area that embraces the avant-garde and encourages new thought. It is a place built for the young and upcoming yet still maintains an old established pattern of relaxed, anything goes, nonjudgmental attitudes. The kind of place a young person who likes to think for himself could thrive. T squared saw his charm, open mind, and personal investments as a perfect fit.
Ben had followed Thomas, his best friend since primary grades. He’d certainly been drawn to the beach life available. The beach, the volleyball, surfing, and boardwalk parties, he loved it all. But his first choice of coastal campuses would have been different. If he’d been in charge of choosing the university setting it would have been in southern California, San Diego or Santa Barbara or Los Angeles, where the water is warmer, the bikinis are smaller, and the beaches have less restrictions. UCSC had become his destination also because Ben relied on Thomas as his constant in life so.
“Where you headin’?” He asked.
“My weekly appointment with Sigmund, remember? Every Monday morning before classes. When’s your visit?” T squared responded.
“Tomorrow. I report for my second session first thing in the morning. Glad it’s in the AM because I plan on being in the water by the afternoon. Hey, what’s that acronym stand for anyway, I can never remember.” Ben asked.
“It’s CGMD my friend, stands for Cognitive Growth and Mind Development. A little detail you must remember to enter the grad program you know. We call the virtual therapist Sigmund with an S, get it?”
T squared enjoyed the weekly sessions with Sigmund. They were filled with encouragement, positive feedback, and sharing. He was glad they were scheduled first thing Monday mornings. It gave him a sort of positive energy that lasted for the rest of the week.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’ve been told before. What do ya think of therapy anyway? Are you getting anything out of it?” asked Ben.
“I don’t know, maybe. I mean I’ve really just started. But it’s kinda odd. I mean sometimes it seems so real, like he’s human or something. I mean I know it’s a computer and all, but he seems so friendly, like he really cares. Anyway, he listens better than my parents ever did, and he doesn’t give me all the shit you do.”
“Hey, that’s what friends are for. I’ve only had my intake interview and all, but it seems okay. You are right, he does seem pretty real, it’s amazing what science has done. I understand some of the original programming work was developed right here on campus too. That‘s kinda cool.”
“Yeah, surfer boy, cool.”
“Well, it’s used around the world now and that gives us bragging rights. Something I know you like to do.”
Ben had fun teasing his friend on the rare occasion the opportunity arose. Usually it was T squared that had the advantage. On average Ben’s insults numbered one to five.
“Ha, very funny. Anyway, what are you talking about bragging rights, you and I had nothing to do with it and we’re not even science majors. So it gives us nothing but another requirement to graduate.”
“I’m your best friend T, have been for as long as I can remember, and I know how much you like to brag, and it matters not in the least that you didn’t contribute, if a bragging op appears you‘re on it.”
“You’re maligning me again.”
“Right T, you got me convinced. Listen I gotta go before I’m late. See ya later. I’ll catch up in the afternoon for a bite of something. Don’t let Sigmund see how crazy you really are or they‘ll never let you advance. Oh, and I‘m going for my third surfing lesson this weekend, wanna come?” Ben asked.
“Saturday?”
“At noon, when the tides the highest, that’s when the waves should be the best according to my instructor.”
“At the boardwalk?”
“Nah, too many piers and people there. We go in the water south of there at a place called Cowell’s, next to the municipal pier. Come on T it’ll be fun. You can ride with me.”
Ben walked backwards waiting for the answer. He adjusted the strap to his laptop computer shifting it to the other shoulder. The bag was light weight with a computer that was no bigger than a tablet of paper but it still irritated his sun burned shoulder.
“Hey, I wanna see you hang ten Frankie, can you do that yet? A little of that action from the old movies?”
“First of all, hang ten is a surfing move for long boards. We don’t use those. We use the short boards. My lesson will be all about how to catch a wave. Gotta learn to do that before I can hang anything. Why don’t you come Saturday, it’ll be fun. There’s always a beach load of babes there watchin’.”
“No fancy stuff?”
“Nope, just a beginner lesson. But you’ll love the beach combing. I can promise you that.”
“Maybe surfer boy, we’ll see.” T squared replied.
CHAPTER THREE
“Hi, my name is Anna. Welcome to the Psychotherapy office of CGMD, please make your hand available for scanning,” came the disembodied voice of the virtual receptionist. The voice had a smooth velvety texture, very friendly in tone, welcoming. Students found the voice comforting and warm.
Thomas held his open palm over the scanner. An invisible light crossed under it without a sound. As his hand print was verified he said, “Hello, Anna my pretty, you’re sure lookin’ good today.”
He’d always imagined her to be pretty. If she were real he was sure she would be tall, thin, dark skinned, with large round eyes, full lips covered with light pink lipstick, and short sassy hair creating a sophisticated look. The sleek image matched the voice, he thought.
“That’s funny, Thomas. I’m sure you look good also. The doctor will be ready for you shortly. Please make yourself comfortable.”
Before he could sit the door to the inner sanction opened. T squared entered breathing in the fresh scent of pine in one deep breath. It was the same satisfying smell he’d experienced on hikes through the Rockies when he was a kid. The door closed behind him without a sound.
The sanction was a room measuring 20 feet by 20 feet. The walls were painted gray and lay in shadows which made them mostly disappear. In the middle of the room a soft light shone down on one large padded chair decorated with silver buttons along the arms and back. There was a canopy suspended over the top of the chair that looked like a small canvas circus tent and a platform to rest your feet.
The chair was the newest Bio-Neural Feedback chair available. It measured the bodies’ temperature, muscle tension, biological output, blood pressure, and other non-verbal language that was then fed to the computer. The canopy was a sensory pick-up station which categorized speech patterns, voice inflections and tone, and brain patterns. The information gathered was called Qualitative Affect Feedback. After processing the information Sigmund would give students feedback about effects that were occurring during therapy and generate a diagnostic composition of the student.
The process had been originally designed to help patients ferret out any inconsistencies of behavior, when they would say one thing yet do another, and cognitive dissonance, when one’s belief about self doesn’t match the feedback, and real self versus constructed self, which are our internal temperaments and drives verses the environmental influences that shape all of us. Qualitative Affect Feedback also helps determine functional versus nonfunctional choices, that is to say behavioral choices that work for or against us.
The system was tested and retested for accuracy to use in mental health diagnosis, prognosis, and direct feedback to patients. Eliminating the actual therapist had saved billions over the years in mental health services and had changed the course of mental health forever. Most considered CGMD the answer due to the ease of availability, cost efficiency and adaptability.
Thomas sat down in the chair. The canopy automatically readjusted to accommodate his height.
“Hi, Sigmund.” Said Thomas with a slight wave of his hand.
In front of the Bio-Neural Feedback chair, about ten feet away, was a large wooden desk with nothing on it. Behind the desk sat Sigmund in an ordinary wooden chair. Although the image in front of him was not real it appeared solid and three dimensional. The slight fading around the edges was the only thing that gave it away and that was easy to ignore once engaged.
“Hello, Thomas, it’s good to see you again. I’m happy to see you looking so well.” The image facing him nodded and smiled, looking very human. “Please make yourself comfortable and tell me how your week has been.”
“It’s kinda good to see you too. I mean its good to be back. I always feel, I don’t know, better when I leave here.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Thomas.” The figure said with another smile. Sigmund raised his hands to the top of the desk lacing his fingers together.
“By the way my friends all call me T squared or T for short. I guess you can too, even though I know you’re only a computer and all. Somehow it’s like I’ve known you a lot longer.”
“Okay, T squared, thank you.” The image smiled broadly and nodded approval. “I’m glad you think of me as a friend because that’s what I’d like to be. I‘m only here to help in any way possible.”
T sat silent while he studied Sigmund‘s face. The appearance looked some what different than during his last session, he was sure of it. The smile was the same, the demeanor, yet something seemed different.
“Listen, Dr. S, I mean this seems weird I know, but have you changed something about yourself? I mean you look different somehow.”
“What do you mean, T squared?”
“I don’t know, like you seem darker than I remember, and your hair seems more gray or something. I can’t quite put my finger on it but you look different. You look somehow more familiar.”
“Would that familiarity be a good thing or a bad thing to you?”
Thomas scratched his head, studied the floor then looked off to the left, mouth askew.
“A good thing I’d have to say. I feel more comfortable today, like I’m with an old friend or something.”
“That’s great, T squared. As long as it’s a good thing then let’s not analyze it, okay? Let’s just enjoy your deepening level of comfort and trust. I’d like you to feel comfortable here. And of course you know that you can trust me, too. Does that sound okay with you?”
“Yep, I can hang with that.”
“Is there anything on your mind that you’d like to talk about today?”
“Well, Mr. S, I didn’t think there was anything, but now that I’m here I’m wondering if we could talk about my granddad some. The minute I sat down here my g-dad kept jumping into my brain.”
“Of course, from what I’ve gathered it seems like he was very important to you.”
“That’s funny, have I mentioned him before? I don’t remember talking to you about him.”
“Well of course you don’t, that’s very normal and happens quite often with students. It’s nothing to concern yourself about. After all, you are four weeks into this semester of classes. You’re processing volumes of information every day and it can be very difficult to remember the details of our little talks in the midst of all your studying. Don’t worry about it. It’s normal. Now lets not loose sight of what is important here. You and your grandfather. Am I correct? Was your grandfather an important person in your life? Why don‘t you tell me more about your relationship with him.”
“Yeah, he was real important to me. He was kinda always my confidant when times got rough. He used to take me fishing in the mountains a lot and we’d have these great talks while we hiked that always made me feel better about life. When I come in here I think about him a lot, maybe it’s that pine smell you have going on in here.’’
Sigmund got information from the chair that Thomas was experiencing less muscle tension, calmer voice tones, slower rate of speech, and more reflection. The anterior portion of the frontal lobe resonated signals implicating feelings of affection.
“You seem to be getting more relaxed as you talk about your grandfather T squared. And correct me if I’m wrong, but you sound as if you have a great deal of affection for him. Your relationship must have been a very important one indeed. I bet he played a big part in you developing into the charming and interesting good hearted young man that you’ve become. Am I right?”
T reflected in silence pulling up a string of memories relating to his grandfather that were all fun. He remembered the man’s smile, baritone voice, deep wrinkles around dark eyes, and the deep belly laugh. He could see his grandfather’s walk, the comforting gestures, and he could hear the funny way he pronounced the word wash as if it were spelled worsh. All were present in the passing recollections. He thought of the times when they had serious talks too. They’d hike sometimes for hours just talking. When ever T had looked upset his grandfather would initiate another hike.
“Thanks for the compliments,” T said in earnest. “You’re always good at the positive feedback. And yeah, you’re right. He was much more present than either of my parents. My g-dad really talked to me, know what I mean? He always accepted me for me and encouraged me. Oh, don’t get me wrong, he’d challenge me too, push when I needed pushing, question when I needed to think things out more. He guided me. I felt I could trust him with anything. Man I wish he were still here.”
Sigmund nodded and looked off into the corner of the room. T squared followed the line of sight but saw nothing. Looking back at Sigmund he didn‘t notice the subtle changes to his appearance.
“It must have been quite a loss to you when he died,” Sigmund offered with empathy. “I can imagine how much you must miss him. Support from other people is really important in our lives. Is there anyone else there for you? Anyone that can help fill in a little maybe?”
“I don’t know, not really. I guess besides my friend Ben there is no one really. And Ben, well I love the guy like a brother, but he’s still a kid like me. He can barely help himself sometimes.”
“Is there any one else, T squared? Maybe someone you wouldn’t even consider normally. Someone with whom you feel at peace?”
“Well, there’s you I guess. Sometimes, I mean its weird and all, but sometimes you kind of remind me of my g-dad.”
Sigmund smiled.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Today is one of those days I’d like to start over,” Ethan mumbled as he ran past the budding oak trees toward the lecture hall. He felt behind in everything and wanted to catch up to life. It was the first showing of spring, normally accompanied by bright smiles and a friendly spirit even from him, but not today. It was instead the beginning of a macabre spiral that just couldn’t be anticipated.
“Ethan, wait,” shouted his doctoral student from the student union doorway, “I need to talk to you about tonight.”
“Later. I promise. I’m late,” he responded as he jogged past.
“It’s always later,” Karen mumbled, watching him slip away.
In less than five minutes Ethan Price was supposed to begin a lecture to the undergrad students attending his Introduction to Computer Psychology class. As the University of California department chair he was required to teach the introductory class to make sure students had a full understanding of the Sigmund Project. One hundred seventy-five students signed up for the class, most of them only to fulfill a requirement for graduation. The recent addition to the requirements being either to attend the introductory class or attend twenty-five computer therapy sessions.
“Hi, Dr. Ethan,” spoke the velvety voice of Amanda Coining, one of the students trying to add the class after the closing date.
Amanda had presence in the world. She was tall, fashionably yet seductively dressed, and very pretty. She had long blond hair, blue eyes, and a knock out figure. Amanda knew most men found her difficult to resist, and impossible to ignore. She made sure of that and used it to her advantage whenever possible.
“I still don’t know if there’ll be room, Amanda, we’ll see how many drop this week, Okay?”
“Okay, Dr. Ethan. I must say that you look especially nice today in those Levis and Pendleton jacket.”
“Flattery won’t help, Amanda.” He smiled at her before turning to enter the building.
The lecture hall was full. Sound moved throughout the large room as students shuffled papers and finished talking. Taking note of his presence the class began to quiet. At thirty-seven years old Ethan Price could still turn a head, even from women who weren’t trying to charm their way into his class. He stood so close to six feet that he’d always rounded his height up to the limit. The slightly receding mass of thick black hair, grown out long behind his ears, set off his dark blue Danish eyes in a way that had always caught attention. His weight was average for his age, slightly puffy, yet he maintained an attractive definition.
He stepped onto the presentation column, waited for it to rise, and began to speak. The small tent above him gathered the sound waves and a blueprint of his image, projecting both to the computer screen in front of each student.
“Hello, my name is Dr. Ethan Price. I am the chair of the Computer Psychology Department, and just as most of you are here today to satisfy a requirement for your future graduation, I am here to satisfy a requirement of my own. Although mine is for employment.”
Scratch that joke. Ethan thought.
“Welcome, all of you, to my Introduction to Computer Psychology class. As you all know, this class takes the place of the graduation requirement for psychotherapy, and although you will experience cyber therapy as part of your lab portion of the class, you will not actually participate.
For those of you who do not know me, I’ll give you a brief outline. My field is Social Psychology with a specialization in Computer Psychology. Social psychologists study the way people think, feel, and behave, so it was a natural path to study the use and outcomes of computer psychotherapy. Just to clear up any confusion that you may have, I am not a computer programmer, nor do I have any technical abilities in the computer world. I do not know how the psychotherapy programs work. I know what they do. The focus of my involvement has always been to study the effects that virtual psychotherapy has on people.
Throughout my experience in this field I have been involved in studies on subjective outcome effectiveness, that is, whether or not people believe they are feeling and functioning better, and objective outcomes such as the accuracy of testing and predictions. Some of these studies contributed to the ultimate decision to replace live psychotherapists with virtual.
Throughout the development of the Sigmund Project I also helped in the establishment of intended uses, testing protocols, ethical concerns, appropriate therapeutic verbiage, interventions, and other areas. I was only one of hundreds of people across the continent who had input into the final product that was being developed by this countries finest programming minds and psychology experts. The basics of what you experience now was developed before I even completed my graduate studies.
Developing some of the testing materials for the project that could be used for predicting future behavior has been a great interest of mine. From my first study, that was developed to indicate which student profile was most likely to complete college, to predicting recidivism rates among prisoners. There are continually new and exciting developments in measurement devices, prediction programs, and other developments accessible for different organizations to use at their discretion. Other Social Psychologists in this field have furthered my initial studies on student profiles to such a degree of prediction accuracy that psychotherapy is now a requirement to enter graduate school.”
An audible groan rose throughout the lecture hall in response.
“Oh, come on now,” Ethan said with a joking tone, “you must realize that it would be impossible for many of you to get into graduate school because of the sheer volume of applicants if we couldn’t eliminate some students. The admissions psychotherapy is designed to do just that by accurately predicting who will and who won’t be successful. Don’t worry now, I won’t tell Sigmund that you’re all complaining to the head of the department about it.”
A short ripple a laugh rewarded the tease.
“Now please follow along on your computer screen as we go over the history of Computer Psychology which is one of the greatest improvements to society since the conception of the World Wide Web.”
As the students focused their attention toward the screen in front of them, a montage of photos appeared, followed by a slide show that included small video segments.
“It is a beautiful spring day outside in this year of 2033, yet around the world some of the better minds in Computer Psychology are still debating its roots. Did it begin in 2020 when we finally turned to computers for the ultimate in science based psychotherapy, or was it in 2015 when DNA scans were adopted for security systems, or maybe it was back in 2008 when thumb prints were first used for computer access and security. Some are even of the belief that Computer Psychology has its roots in the early work of Dr. Paul Eckman’s extensive studies on facial expressions which elucidated the similarities in expression around the world.
My lab assistant is completing her dissertation on Sigmund Project. Her research takes us all the way back to the study of Neuro Linguistic Programming by Bandler, so perhaps she will be able to answer the debate for us sometime in the future. While we may never come to agreement about the origin of this wonderful field we do agree on the importance of it.
Computer Psychology is still in its young adulthood as far as science goes having only been fully put to use about ten years ago. However, it is the best thing that has happened in psychology since Freud. Institutions around the world now rely on the CGMD system to facilitate their business, complete testing, interview applicants, and as you all know since you’re here trying to avoid it, facilitate psychotherapy.”
A short rumble of laughter drifted through the auditorium. It was a predictable response for which he would always pause.
“In brief, using a simplistic definition, Computer Psychology is the use of computers to facilitate the spectrum of psychotherapy. That includes using a virtual therapist for
actual psychotherapy, psychological testing, educational entrance exams, interview response evaluations, medication referrals, and CGMD Reports that address the psychological issues of the strengths and detriments of each individual. Other institutions may have incorporated or developed additional uses as determined by their needs.
Even though you may find some tailored uses of Sigmund for specific unique functions, the basic programmed protocols that were initially established, remain unchanged. Sigmund is, under all conditions and circumstances, to do no harm and to not influence people directly. This premise of psychotherapy can be trusted as predictable and fail safe.
There are very few in this country who have access to the programming of the project, and there is always a team in which each individual has their own part. Other programmers can access just enough to run periodic virus checks if requested. However, since Sigmund is a closed system, running checks only occur randomly at the discretion of each entity.
The proof of effectiveness with the Sigmund Project is undeniable and irrefutable. For this you should all be grateful. There are no more subjective biases of therapists interfering with the psychological process. Mistakes in testing and interpretation of the results have been eliminated. There is no more wondering about the value and accuracy of psychotherapy processes.
Another benefit to you is that the CGMD system is extremely cost effective so that your admission fees have actually been reduced over the years. Since there’s no need to pay people salaries, benefits, and a world of other fees to fulfill those needs it frees up resources for other student and university needs. Computers take an initial investment and some up keep, that’s all.”
Ethan paused for a long moment to let the words set. Looking around the room, he noted some nods, a few tapping fingers, and a quiet response. He then continued.
“Extensive research of more than a decade demonstrates science based therapeutic gain that is unquestionable. Benefit after benefit after benefit has occurred over the years since launching the CGMD Project and incorporating the system throughout government facilities. The positive results demonstrated in the prison system, graduate school admissions, military recruitment, and everyday self-report have held up under much scrutiny and test-retest reliability.
After the ‘three strikes your out’ law came into effect in the late 1900’s prisons around the country became overcrowded and filled beyond capacity. There seemed to be an epidemic of crime with stats rising to 10% of the entire population being in jail by the new millennium. The prison system found it was unable to keep up. Stacking criminals into cells and rotating the use of the small facilities only increased the internal tension giving rise to further riots, health issues, and prisoner unrest.
There were hot debates taking place during that period between opposing political views. Some of which thought prisoners should just be let out early, others believed in rescinding the three strikes bill, and still others wanted to raise taxes to increase the prison system capacity. Statistical measures and information was gathered from all over to try to comprehensively approach the problem. And, then came CGMD.”
The letters appeared across the computer screens in large bold black letters.
“CGMD is an acronym for Cognitive Growth and Mind Development, pronounced Sigmund, after the founder of psychotherapy.
CGMD 1 was the first computer in the series and was used to predict the probability of recidivism in prisoners. Parts of which I had the privilege of contributing to. The original project was the brainchild of Alfred Hamburg, the head of the Computer Science Program at Harvard University. He’d been running studies to predict behavior for years and applied the principles to the prison population. By gathering behavioral and psychotherapy information from Social Psychologist, Behaviorist, and others he was able to put together a program that could measure physiological responses and compare that with psychological measurements.
The computer was able to detect simple changes in facial muscles and pupil dilations in response to questions that would predict a prisoner’s likelihood of re-offending. Based on that testing some were kept indefinitely, others were released conditionally, and still others became free as a bird. Correctness of the results was in the ninety-fifth percentile and far more accurate than earlier use of licensed psychologist’ predictions.
From there the CGMD continued to be developed at lightening speed into the system you experience today. The Sigmund Project occurred when universities across the nation launched the mandatory psychotherapy systems replacing all psychotherapists. At that time there were many concerns and objections but all have been proven benign.
The evolution of Sigmund will be covered throughout this class, but for today know that it is used in many different and useful ways that help to keep the world in order. You can meet Sigmund for personal psychotherapy, during job interviews for the government and many of the larger conglomerates, and during the admission process to all Graduate Degree programs within the United States. Also there is a probability of being involved with CGMD if you should for some reason decide to get involved with the military although that’s out of my scope of knowledge.”
On the computer screen in front of each student a branched chart appeared.
“Think of the system as an organizational chart. Psychotherapy is the header with the first level of branches being the organizations that use a version of Sigmund, the next level being the primary uses, and the next being the specific uses, etc. You can see by the different charts that are now appearing on your screen that different business interests use Sigmund differently.
Now I’m afraid I must let you all go early today because I’ve a pressing meeting with the University President. Please study the first six interactive chapters for this course and complete the comprehensive test on those chapters before our next class. Anybody who wants to drop this class please post it on the university web site by this evening along with your code for having signed up for psychotherapy. Have a great day and I’ll see all of you next week. Thank you.”
The platform lowered itself to the floor as students packed up their computers. All left at the same time, the students dragging their feet toward the next class and Ethan hurrying to the administrative offices.
CHAPTER FIVE
Ethan Price was born in 1996 in a small farming town in Central California. His parents were both professionals who commuted daily to different Bay area cities for their jobs. His mother, Catherine, was a buyer for a retail boutique chain called Boots and Bags that specialized in high style accoutrements in ladies fashion. She often attended fashion shows in Paris and New York to stay up on the cutting edge of fashion. She was a pretty woman, serious rather than frivolous, and she ran a tight ship at home and work. Ethan knew she should not be crossed yet was privileged to a side of her that only his father and he got to experience. That was the nurturing mother and wife that lived behind the mask of the double edged business sword.
His father was equally important in the world of business having established himself as a young man in the shark eat shark world of finance. Daniel Price was merely twenty-four years of age when he started as a broker for Merrill Lynch. He stayed there only three years after which his financial savvy got him a position with Vanguard. He rose quickly in that financial leader creating a reputation for himself as an energetic creative master of money. He turned retirements into gold and futures into stability.
Ethan spent as much time with both parents as possible. As an only child he was their focus above all else. Both parents cherished family life and although their work schedule was hectic the family was never put second. Growing up was a rich experience living in a quiet rural community where the town fair was the big deal and yet being able to also understand the heartbeat that sustains a big city.
His life was also enriched by the contributions both parents had made to the foundation of his personality. From his mother he was given the insight of measuring people’s worth through genuine acceptance and mindful awareness. He’d learned from her how to see the value and strengths all people have and how to bring that strength forth. From his father he’d gained the ability to measure risk and calculate the benefit in all decisions. He learned how to balance life’s ratios, soundly invest in one‘s life, and plan for the long run.
Ethan had always felt loved in the world and had always wanted to help other people experience life with the same sort of life jacket. He knew as a young child that not all people were the same and that many of the other kids didn’t feel as safe in the world as he did. He’d seen things, heard things, been involved in their chaos to different degrees, and wanted to help people find their way out of the mess.
In High School Ethan had taken his first psychology class where he was introduced to the works of Sigmund Freud, Carl Young, and others. Hooked from the very start he continued the pursuit in college focusing on the use of computers in the field. Testing for psychological purposes was his first area of advanced study. By the time he‘d earned his Bachelors Degree he‘d developed three statistically sound tests. Graduate school established him as a first rate student researcher in human behavior and provided the first introduction to Sigmund.
The Sigmund Project was a new thought at that time. The early tests of the system, including his dissertation study on behavior predictions, were all positive. The project was launched exclusively in prisons after Ethan Price helped develop the characteristics that measured the likelihood of recidivism.
By gathering information from over 1000 prisoners, both repeat offenders and those who had straightened out their lives, he’d been able to find statistically significant indicators that could then be used in assessments. Information about thought patterns, beliefs, future goals, and sense of power were used, as well as bio-neural information such as eye contact, breathing patterns, and muscle tension. Because of this research, and that of many others, a program was developed and tested for validation. Ethan’s reputation as a solid researcher invested in the future, got him elected as one of the few graduate students chosen to give input about Sigmund’s original protocols.
Upon earning a Doctorate Degree he was immediately recruited into the UCSC Computer Psychology Department. A new innovative department that was initiating the Sigmund Project. Three quick years later he became the department chair. Ethan was liked by everybody because of his dedication, kindness, and sincerity. He was genuine.
CHAPTER SIX
“Ethan, I’m glad you’re here,” the University President rose to shut the door for privacy. She looked worried and tense. Something had occurred that was more important to her than his classroom instruction.
“What can I do for you, Sarah? Your message sounded urgent and it’s not like you to shorten a class.” He sat down in the chair facing her desk as she moved toward her own chair.
Sarah sat down looking at him with resign. “Well, I don’t know about urgent because the worst damage has been done, but there is a problem. Ethan, one of our students just killed himself.”
“What?”
“Alex Smitten, ever hear of him?”
“No I haven‘t. My God, Sarah, what happened?” Ethan sat up on the edge of the chair with a worried look. There hadn’t been any problems like that on campus since they’d started using the CGMD system.
“He lit his lungs on fire in the Ulysses dormitory last night around eight, roommate found him about 8:30, called a friend who told him to call an ambulance. Kid died a few hours after he got to the hospital.”
“God, how awful!”
“Yeah! I want you and your staff on hand for the rest of the day to direct the students to their Critical Incident Stress Debriefing with Sigmund. There may be some questions to prepare for, too. Its been along time since we‘ve had to deal with anything like this and students may be wanting to know why it happened, they may be asking for details, or want to ask questions about the student himself. Just tell them its being investigated. Treat the incident as a confidential matter. Make sure you ask each student you talk with to keep it confidential, too. Not that we’re going to stop them from talking, but we can try.” Sarah was a matter of fact, lets get down to it type of business woman, and this incident was going to be handled in the same manner as anything else.
“Of course. How tragic! You’re right, nothing like that has happened in years and people are bound to be asking questions. My God, I wonder what drove him to it. Do you know any of the details?”
She sighed loudly and shook her head, rubbing her chin as she answered. “Not many. Alex had just completed his 30th session with Sigmund and had applied to begin grad school next fall. He wasn’t a strong student, ranged between 2.0-2.5 GPA, didn’t participate in campus life as most of our students, and had gotten into legal trouble a couple times, no felonies though. Doesn’t sound like he was a very good candidate for graduate school. But, with Sigmund’s recommendation, he’d probably been accepted. I only have the information from his web page at this time.”
“There’s bound to be questions about why someone so far along in therapy would kill himself.” Ethan scratched his head.
“Legitimate question, I’d like to know the answer to that myself. I suppose we’d better get prepared with an answer, but until the Sigmund Report explains more we‘ll remain neutral on the subject. Just stick to an explanation that we are working on getting some answers to a complicated situation.”
“That works. We’ll keep it to that.” Ethan said. He liked Sarah’s business oriented mind which was sometimes reminiscent of the way his parents had operated. It was a comfortable relationship for him.
“You know, some applicants are right on the edge as far as their predictable success goes and there’s no telling which ones possess what it takes to actually be able to get through the process,” shared Sarah.
“Yeah, I guess we got the answer to whether Alex would be a success or not, albeit not in the preferred reporting manner.” Ethan stood to leave. “Let me know if anything else develops and I’ll keep you apprised of the student’s responses. Oh, and I‘d like to read the Sigmund Report when it arrives.”
“Sounds good. We’ve got to nip this one since it could impact enrollment in our Doctorate programs.”
Closing the door softly, he shook his head in wonderment. The Santa Cruz UC was a large school, with thousands of students attending classes on any given day, and since the introduction of Sigmund on campus Ethan couldn’t recall one suicide or murder being attempted within the student body. Random indigent murders, occasional suicides by local losers, but none of the students acted out like that.
“What’s happened, Ethan, I can see it in your face,” asked Karen as he entered their office.
The professor and his assistant had shared an office for two years which made it easier for them to communicate about classes that she assisted with, as well as the research that they worked on together. More importantly to Ethan was that he cared for her greatly and had hoped that their past relationship would one day reassert itself. He knew she cared for him but since she’d gradually distanced herself he’d had to let her go.
The office was small and cramped like most university offices. Barely enough room for the two. But it kept her close which he enjoyed. His desk faced the only window and had a view of the campus green belt, and her desk faced the back wall surrounded by endless bookshelves, all filled. Where there were no books posters were hung espousing the benefits of Computer Psychology.
“The most amazing thing Karen, a student killed himself. Actually lit his lungs on fire last night.”
“You’re kidding! How grizzly!” she exclaimed with concern.
“No, I’m not kidding unfortunately. His roommate found him barely alive. That had to be traumatizing in itself.”
“Does anyone know why?”
“No, not yet. We’ll have to wait for the Sigmund Report. Apparently he was working with Sigmund and trying to get into grad school this fall. Didn’t sound like he had a lot going for him, but apparently showed enough potential that Sigmund kept working with him.”
“It must have been too much for him, the pressure of school or something else in life. I can’t imagine being that despondent. Can you? To think that killing your self is the only solution to whatever’s going on?”
Ethan shook his head in response.
“Can’t help but wonder how someone comes to that particular solution when there are so many other choices? I’ve been told by suicidal people that they can find no imaginable solution in the depth of their despondency that would make the pain bearable or life worthwhile, and so they decide dieing would be better. People can’t think straight or problem solve when they are wrestling with clinical depression.” Ethan offered.
Karen shifted her weight to get more comfortable, folding her feet under her legs. It’s a position many women seem to prefer and most men have difficulty achieving. “This situation begs the question of why someone would choose suicide when they are so involved in therapy. Wouldn’t they use the therapist as their life line? Wouldn‘t therapy help to at least keep them safe?”
“Psychotherapy can only do so much to help keep someone safe. Contracts to not suicide are ridiculous since we can’t stop someone who really wants to kill their self. Therapy, however, should help give someone a lifeline to hang on too which ultimately helps keep a person safe. Therapy is also the venue for working out the driving demons. But, brain chemistry is a funny thing. Clinical depressions that aren’t medicated often continue to get worse.”
Karen nodded, acknowledging the points he was making.
Ethan cleared his throat and continued. “There are two points that don’t add up for me. If the student was in therapy for graduate school requirements, and wasn’t going to make the grade, which is what was indicated on his web page, then why was therapy continued? Or, if he was in therapy do to mental health issues such as Major Depression and had decompensated enough to end his life, why didn’t Sigmund take a different course of action. Why wasn’t a red flag sent to Sarah?”
“What’s the protocol for that? Was CGMD supposed to just stop therapy? That doesn’t sound very ethical. Students shouldn’t just be dropped if they are at risk in some way.”
“When the therapy is a mandatory step for acceptance into graduate school, rather than a voluntary request for personal reasons, then therapy is all about self-discovery and an assessment of whether the student will be a success or not. The focus is on self-actualization. But when something comes up in therapy that stops that process from happening then a report should be issued and the focus of therapy would change to focus on the problems. I don‘t recall it ever actually happening though.”
“So a report would have been sent from Sigmund to Sarah about the change in therapeutic direction?”
“Yes, that’s what we call a red flag. Its letting Sarah know that there are some extenuating circumstances getting in the way of therapeutic progress and that there may be some delay in the educational process, or that there may be some serious problems to take care of or other interventions that are needed. Confidentiality of patient information, however, would keep reasons for the red flag vague. Sarah wouldn’t get the specific reason for the delay or complications. The intention of a red flag is just to let someone else know, someone that has impact on the students academic future, that there are complications in the therapy that might effect that future.”
Karen stretched her legs out, scratching one knee. They could hear people talking in the hallway as they passed. In the background the campus bells were ringing in the beginning of a new hour.
“That makes sense to notify Sarah and to change the approach to therapy. I suppose the emphasis would become crisis stabilization under those conditions.” Karen was thoughtful. She reflected on her own history with Sigmund and how her evolution had taken place. It hadn’t been a smooth ride, but she’d always thought it was the right ride for her.
“Anyway, you’ll need to cancel your day, Karen, Sarah wants us available to direct the students for the CISDs.”
“I’ve never participated in a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing before.”
“That part will actually be for Sigmund to do. We’ll help answer questions and direct students to see Sigmund.”
“Sure, no problem. Didn‘t actually have much of a day planned to tell you the truth. Just some catch up reading,” Karen responded.
“Okay, good,” he responded.
They sat looking around the room not sure of what to do next. Ethan swiveled from left to right in his chair gazing out the window in thought and Karen sat still immersed in her own reflections. She remembered how comfortable she’d been and how confused all at the same time during her therapy sessions. Working with Sigmund had helped her clear out the conflicting thoughts and get back to business which had been academics at the time. She didn’t credit Sigmund exactly with her success, but knew his help had been a catalyst for the ultimate success.
Ethan cleared his throat turning back toward Karen. “We’ll have to do an investigation of course. I’m not even sure where to begin with that.”
“Can we access the student’s psychotherapy sessions, Ethan? Maybe find out more about him and the course of his therapy? The case notes should indicate a lot and the answers may be right there for us”
Ethan bit his lower lip in thought then shook his head. He knew there was no getting around the state licensing board legalities without getting the courts involved. “No, those sessions are confidential. Without a signed release from the student or a court order, it would be breaking California State Law.”
“How about with a court order then?”
He shook his head again. “Maybe, we’ll see if we need that. The report should explain all of this. Also, Sigmund has the files coded in such a scrabbled way no one could ever get access to the actual information on their own, Sigmund would have to unscramble them first.”
It was Karen’s turn to shake her head. “Well that doesn’t sound right. That’s far too much power for a computer to have.”
“It’s all in the name of student confidentiality. Doesn’t really matter anyway since Sigmund will give us a full diagnostic report with tests results, therapeutic impressions, and a summation of the work they were doing as is protocol.”
She looked at him with frustration hating it whenever someone referred to Sigmund with a phrase that should be reserved for humans only. With a raised eyebrow and determined tone she said, “A therapeutic impression? A computer made of wires and signals can’t form impressions.”
He nodded his head affirmatively, with patience, but only to acknowledge her stance on computer usage, not to agree. The debate was endless now that she was writing her doctoral dissertation. Normally he enjoyed a healthy debate, especially with some one he felt so close to, but at this moment the timing was off.
“Please, Karen, not now. I know you don’t agree with the extensive use of advanced intelligence that has been embraced by our society. As your doctoral advisor I’m very aware of your effort to prove that we’ve incorporated computers into our daily lives far too much. Maybe even to the degree of dependence. We‘ll have to discuss that another day though. We already have our plate full routing all the students to their debriefing and answering questions.”
“But look at the situation, Ethan. A young man has killed himself on our campus under the care of our virtual therapist and we can’t even get into the system to investigate. That’s wrong. There is something inherently screwed up, in my opinion, when a computer has that much independence.”
She wasn’t ready to let it go. The illustration at hand was too perfect an argument to ignore. Debating with Ethan helped her hone the arguments for her dissertation, so she tried to take advantage of every opportunity.
“You may be right but this debate isn’t going to help us figure anything out Karen. Listen, I know your argument about how we are loosing the human touch in our relationships, and that we give to much credit to computers. There‘s a lot of truth to that argument and it’s a question that should be considered, but right now we‘ve got other priorities.”
“That’s right. All Sigmund does is read minute nonverbal communications, pheromone production, brain scans, and muscle tensions to apply a set of predetermined interpretations. And those interpretations of the data were originally defined by some of Computer Psychology’s finest to diagnose a set of characteristics and likelihoods. Yet everyone seems to think of Sigmund as an expert in mental health.”
She worked at relaxing the tension in her jaw before continuing. “It’s as if they believe that he knows better than we do. That’s giving him far too much credit. It’s a computer, nothing but hard wired science, and that’s all he‘ll ever be. We‘ve made computers so integrated into our lives that people are loosing the definition of what Sigmund is, a machine that’s all, and he’s not the answer to everything. Computers have become too important and we‘ve become too dependent on them.”
“I know, I know. I’ve read your beginning statements. Okay? I also know there is a need for that science and that it has moved beyond the scripts. We could no more go back to life without computers than we could go back to living in caves. They are a necessary tool in our lives. Maybe we have become too dependent, but we still need them in this fast paced world.”
“I know we can’t go back and I agree that we do need computers, but there should be a line drawn. A limit. We are loosing touch with mankind. We rely on computers too much, Ethan, that’s all I‘m saying. We’re loosing track of our relationships. Becoming more isolated and lonely let alone how vulnerable we’ve become by having so much private information accessible to the public. People know the problems that occur when a hacker gets into confidential systems or when important information is lost forever because a computer crashes, yet they still build their lives around machines letting those machines in essence run their life. Don’t they get it?”
“Karen, it’s a great point and you’ll do a great job with that, but right now we’ve got other business to attend.”
Ethan stood holding his hand out to her hoping she would let it rest for the moment. Her drive and spunk were admired, but he was starting to feel pressed for time. He knew they needed to get out among the students to quash any rumors that may start about the suicide.
“But I’m just saying…..”
“How about we talk about this later, bel amie. I’m going to wander around the quad to take the pulse of the students. Are you ready to join me?”
She took his hand and let him help her stand understanding that it was time to quit badgering.
“Okay, alright. But later, we’re on, you owe me the time, Dr. Price.”
Several years after he’d taken the position at the University Karen Masters had entered the classroom. There had been many beautiful young women touching his life throughout the years, but none that had personified light and energy the way she did. He often wondered how she contained the spark that glowed so brightly in her.
Ethan had fallen for her instantly although he hadn’t known it at the time. His eyes barely wandered from her during lectures but he didn‘t notice, he looked forward to seeing her every week which he ignored, and he yearned to know her better which he wouldn‘t acknowledge. After she completed the first class with him an opportunity presented itself that he couldn‘t ignore. The previous lab assistant was graduating and a new one was needed.
The very next afternoon he’d sought her out. “Karen, I’m looking for a new lab assistant and thought you’d be interested.”
She’d smiled sideways at him thinking over the proposition. Karen had been aware of his visual engagement during class, even several classmates had noticed, nudging her often. Looking at him intently she tuned inward. Intuition is a funny thing the way it signals the right choices if you pay close attention.
After a momentary pause she said, “Yes, I think I would like that. Just tell me when and where so I can work my schedule around it.”
Being raised by a family of business minded people Karen had learned early in life how to measure options to find the best guess. By considering her emotional responses along with values and rules, then adding in intuitive reaction, she tended to make decisions that seemed to work out.