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GENETIC PREDISPOSITION known what pink adrenaline was until 1952, when Hutcheon” If too much dopamine is not the root cause of schizophrenia, described how the oxidation of adrenaline created the indole then what is? Certainly, genetics must play a significant role adrenochrome. Hoffer then experimented by taking this sub- because 50 per cent of patients with this illness come from fami- stance himself, finding it made him paranoid. lies with a history of the disorder.’ This preponderance cannot be In another trial, Osmond” was administered 300 mg of spray explained by abnormal child-rearing, since adoption has no containing adrenochrome. Within 11 minutes, his ears felt impact on the risk of subsequently becoming schizophrenic. plugged and his vision became abnormal. Rapidly swinging one There is beyond a doubt, therefore, a strong genetic component arm backward and forward caused him to see this as a series of to schizophrenia, but it cannot be as straightforward as the inheri- stationary arms. Within an hour, he decided to cycle home from tance of certain characteristics such as eye colour, since, as the hospital and noticed that the roadside trees were expanding as Myers* points out, "about half of the twins who share identical if being pumped up with air. Clearly, he was hallucinating. genes with a schizophrenic victim do not develop the disorder". Arriving home earlier than usual, he found his wife was out and One must agree with Nicol and Gottesman's’ assessment that he became very depressed, deciding that she must have left him some individuals "have a genetic predisposition to the disorder and returned to her mother in a distant city. He counted all the but that this predisposition by itself is not sufficient for the devel- suitcases. One was missing, increasing his certainty that she had opment of schizophrenia." The schizophrenia genes, therefore, gone. Finding a pile of clothes, he concluded that his wife had are not destiny but do enhance risk. been packing to leave and had decided to go out to purchase her For many years, geneticists have been studying groups of airline ticket. His depression increased. Remembering the exper- schizophrenics or individual families in which the disorder is iment, he became very angry with the person who had forced him unusually common, in efforts to discover what, if any, genetic to take adrenochrome. (He had, in fact, been a very willing par- abnormalities they carry. To date, four genetic aberrations have ticipant in the experiment.) Clearly, he was becoming paranoid. been identified'*"’ that seem to occur more frequently than normal This experimental evidence suggests that intelligent, highly in subgroups of schizophrenics. These include the low enzyme educated individuals can be made to display many of the symp- activity variant of the catechol-O- toms of acute schizophrenia very methyltransferase gene, the GSTM1*O quickly, simply by exposing them to allele (required to produce a form of excess adrenochrome. glutathione S-transferase) and possibly " i i Put very simply, some people appear the C677TT variant of the gene for We are now in the midst of to become schizophrenic because their methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. an epidemic of insanity bodies manufacture an indole, Beyond this, many schizophrenics Aaya adrenochrome, that has effects rather appear to have inherited an unusual so insidious that most people like the well-known psychedelic drug, Nogo (reticulon 4, RTN4 or RTN-X) are even unaware of LSD. variant gene from both parents. its existence " HISTORY OF SCHIZOPHRENIA In a recently published book, The Invisible Plague: The Rise of Mental Illness from 1750 to the Present, What these four genetic aberrations seem to have in common is that they all result in higher-than-normal exposure to adrenochrome, a metabolite of adrenaline, or in an abnormal susceptibility to its negative Torrey and Miller” argue that, throughout human history, the impacts. Since all of these variants are quite widely distributed in baseline rate of insanity was approximately one case for each the human populace, it seems likely that abnormal levels of 2,000 members of society. Using a great diversity of records, adrenochrome carry evolutionary advantages. ranging from mental health surveys to psychiatrists' diaries, they In several publications, including What Really Causes are able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that industrialisation Schizophrenia,'’*"* I have argued that there appear to be not one has been accompanied by dramatic increases in mental illness. In but at least three and maybe four balanced genetic morphisms England, Ireland, Canada and the USA, for example, "the preva- involved in this mental illness. The genetic aberrations increasing lence of insanity, as a rate per population, increased at least sev- the risk of schizophrenia appear to promote religious sense, tech- enfold between the mid-18th and mid-20th centuries". In the nical and artistic creativity, and leadership.'’ They also seem to USA and especially in Ireland, the increase was greater. provide a greater resistance to a wide range of cancers, especially Torrey and Miller argue that "We are now in the midst of an that of the lung.'* While they may be extremely destructive in epidemic of insanity so insidious that most people are even individuals prone to develop schizophrenia, such genes are highly unaware of its existence". The invisible plague appears worst in beneficial for humanity as a whole. Ireland, where the number of insane persons per 1,000 population has reached almost 8.0. This seems to be about 16 times the pre- THE NATURE OF ADRENOCHROME industrial global baseline. In the early 1950s, Osmond and Smythies” realised that pink One does not have epidemics of genetic diseases, simply (that is, deteriorated) adrenaline sprays were making some asth- because the human genome does not alter rapidly enough to cause matics psychotic, causing them to hallucinate. them. The current epidemic of insanity, associated with both Hoffer” knew that similar side effects accompanied the use of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, that has developed over the mescaline and made a list of all identified compounds that caused past 250 years is a very strong argument that the triggers that hallucinations in those who were awake. The list is short. It increase the negative impacts of the genetic aberrations linked to includes harmline, mescaline, ibogaine, d-lysergic acid diethy- this mental illness have become more common. These appear to lamide (d-LSD-25) and deteriorated adrenaline. Hoffer was include anything that either stimulates the body's production of delighted to realise that all were indoles (harmline, ibogaine, adrenaline or promotes its metabolism to adrenochrome and its LSD) or could become indoles (mescaline). However, it was not derivatives. an epidemic of insanity so insidious that most people are even unaware of its existence." THE NATURE OF ADRENOCHROME In the early 1950s, Osmond and Smythies” realised that pink (that is, deteriorated) adrenaline sprays were making some asth- matics psychotic, causing them to hallucinate. Hoffer” knew that similar side effects accompanied the use of mescaline and made a list of all identified compounds that caused hallucinations in those who were awake. The list is short. It includes harmline, mescaline, ibogaine, d-lysergic acid diethy- lamide (d-LSD-25) and deteriorated adrenaline. Hoffer was delighted to realise that all were indoles (harmline, ibogaine, LSD) or could become indoles (mescaline). However, it was not 28 = NEXUS APRIL — MAY 2004 GENETIC PREDISPOSITION "We are now in the midst of www.nexusmagazi ne.com