The neuroscience of restorative justice | Dan Reisel

翻译人员: xuan wang 校对人员: Peipei Xiang

I'd like to talk today

我今天想要谈的是

about how we can change our brains

我们可以如何改变我们的大脑

and our society.

和我们的社会。

Meet Joe.

这是乔。

Joe's 32 years old and a murderer.

32岁的乔是一个杀人犯。

I met Joe 13 years ago on the lifer wing

13年前我在伦敦的戒备森严的

at Wormwood Scrubs high-security prison in London.

沃姆伍德斯克鲁伯斯监狱的无期徒刑区见到了乔。

I'd like you to imagine this place.

我想让大家来想象一下这个地方。

It looks and feels like it sounds:

它和它听上去的一样：

Wormwood Scrubs.

充斥着痛苦的地方。

Built at the end of the Victorian Era

这座由囚犯们在

by the inmates themselves,

维多利亚时代后期建立起来的监狱，

it is where England's most dangerous prisoners are kept.

是关押英国最危险的犯人的地方。

These individuals have committed acts

这些人都犯下了

of unspeakable evil.

令人发指的罪行。

And I was there to study their brains.

而我在那里研究他们的大脑。

I was part of a team of researchers

我是伦敦大学学院里

from University College London,

一个研究小组的一员，

on a grant from the U.K. department of health.

这个研究是由英国健康部门所资助的。

My task was to study a group of inmates

我的任务是研究一群

who had been clinically diagnosed as psychopaths.

被临床诊断为患有精神病的犯人们。

That meant they were the most

也就是说他们是所有犯人里

callous and the most aggressive

最冷酷和冲动的

of the entire prison population.

一群人。

What lay at the root of their behavior?

是什么根本原因导致了他们的行为？

Was there a neurological cause for their condition?

会不会有神经性的原因引发了这些问题？

And if there was a neurological cause,

如果真的有神经性的原因，

could we find a cure?

我们能找到解药吗？

So I'd like to speak about change, and especially about emotional change.

因此我想要谈谈变化，特别是情绪变化。

Growing up, I was always intrigued

从小到大，我一直对

by how people change.

人们是如何变化的感到好奇。

My mother, a clinical psychotherapist,

我的母亲，是个临床心理治疗师，

would occasionally see patients at home

在晚上会时不时的在家里

in the evening.

接待病人。

She would shut the door to the living room,

她会把客厅的门关上，

and I imagined

然后我就会想象

magical things happened in that room.

神奇的事情在那个房间里发生了。

At the age of five or six

在我五六岁的时候，

I would creep up in my pajamas

我会穿着睡衣爬到门口

and sit outside with my ear glued to the door.

坐在门外把耳朵贴在门上偷听。

On more than one occasion, I fell asleep

有好几次，我都睡着了

and they had to push me out of the way

他们不得不在诊疗结束之后

at the end of the session.

把我推开。

And I suppose that's how I found myself

我想就是这好奇心驱使我

walking into the secure interview room

走进了

on my first day at Wormwood Scrubs.

沃姆伍德斯克鲁伯斯监狱的安全面试室。

Joe sat across a steel table

乔坐在一个铁桌的对面

and greeted me with this blank expression.

然后面无表情的和我打了招呼。

The prison warden, looking equally indifferent,

而监狱长也同样面无表情的说，

said, "Any trouble, just press the red buzzer,

“有麻烦的话，就按那个红色的警报器，

and we'll be around as soon as we can."

我们会尽快赶到的。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I sat down.

我坐下来。

The heavy metal door slammed shut behind me.

沉重的铁门在我后面砰的关上了。

I looked up at the red buzzer

我看着红色的警报器，

far behind Joe on the opposite wall.

它在乔身后离我很远的那堵墙上。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I looked at Joe.

我看着乔。

Perhaps detecting my concern,

可能是看出了我的顾虑，

he leaned forward, and said,

他身体前倾，

as reassuringly as he could,

尽量安慰地对我说，

"Ah, don't worry about the buzzer,

“啊，别担心那个警报器，

it doesn't work anyway."

反正它已经坏了。“

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Over the subsequent months,

在接下来的几个月里，

we tested Joe and his fellow inmates,

我们测试了乔以及和乔一起的犯人，

looking specifically at their ability

特别观察了他们

to categorize different images of emotion.

对不同情绪的照片进行归类的能力。

And we looked at their physical response

我们观察了他们对这些情绪的

to those emotions.

肢体反应。

So, for example, when most of us look

比如说，当我们中的大多数看到

at a picture like this of somebody looking sad,

一张某人看上去很伤心的照片，

we instantly have a slight,

我们马上会有一个轻微的，

measurable physical response:

可以测量出来的肢体反应:

increased heart rate, sweating of the skin.

心跳加速，皮肤出汗。

Whilst the psychopaths in our study were able

虽然我们的精神病患者可以

to describe the pictures accurately,

很准确的描述这些照片里的情绪，

they failed to show the emotions required.

但是他们却没有表现出应有的情绪波动。

They failed to show a physical response.

他们没有任何的肢体反应。

It was as though they knew the words

就像是他们知道字面意思，

but not the music of empathy.

却不具备感同身受的能力。

So we wanted to look closer at this

所以我们想利用核磁共振

to use MRI to image their brains.

对他们的大脑成像来进一步观察这一现象。

That turned out to be not such an easy task.

这可不是一个简单的工作。

Imagine transporting a collection

想象一下

of clinical psychopaths across central London

在伦敦的上下班高峰期

in shackles and handcuffs

运送一群带着手铐脚链的

in rush hour,

精神病患者们，

and in order to place each of them in an MRI scanner,

为了让他们躺在核磁共振扫描仪上，

you have to remove all metal objects,

你得去除他们身上所有的金属物，

including shackles and handcuffs,

包括手铐脚链，

and, as I learned, all body piercings.

以及所有身上的穿环，这也是我才知道的。

After some time, however, we had a tentative answer.

但是过了一段时间，我们有了一个初步的答案。

These individuals were not just the victims

这些人不仅仅是糟糕童年的

of a troubled childhood.

受害者。

There was something else.

还有些其他的原因。

People like Joe have a deficit in a brain area

像乔这样的人，他们的大脑的杏仁体

called the amygdala.

是有缺失的。

The amygdala is an almond-shaped organ

这个杏仁体是一种

deep within each of the hemispheres of the brain.

杏仁形状的深藏在大脑两半球里的组织。

It is thought to be key to the experience of empathy.

它被认为是产生这种共情性体验的关键。

Normally, the more empathic a person is,

通常，一个人的共情性越强，

the larger and more active their amygdala is.

他们的杏仁体就越大越活跃。

Our population of inmates

我们的囚犯们

had a deficient amygdala,

有一个有缺陷的杏仁体，

which likely led to their lack of empathy

这很可能导致了他们缺乏感同身受的能力

and to their immoral behavior.

进而表现出不道德的行为。

So let's take a step back.

那么让我们回过头来看。

Normally, acquiring moral behavior

通常，养成道德的行为习惯

is simply part of growing up,

是成长过程中的一部分，

like learning to speak.

就像学习说话一样。

At the age of six months, virtually every one of us

在六个月大的时候，基本上我们每个人

is able to differentiate between animate and inanimate objects.

都可以区分有生命和无生命的物体。

At the age of 12 months,

一岁的时候，

most children are able to imitate

大部分的孩子都可以模仿

the purposeful actions of others.

他人的有意识的动作。

So for example, your mother raises her hands

比如说，你的妈妈举起并伸展她的双手，

to stretch, and you imitate her behavior.

而你也会跟着模仿她的行为。

At first, this isn't perfect.

最初，这还不是很完美。

I remember my cousin Sasha,

我记得我的表妹萨沙，

two years old at the time,

她两岁的时候，

looking through a picture book

在看一本图画书的时候，

and licking one finger and flicking the page with the other hand,

她一边舔着一个手指，一边用另一只手翻页，

licking one finger and flicking the page with the other hand.

一边舔着一个手指，一边用另一只手翻页。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Bit by bit, we build the foundations of the social brain

渐渐地，我们为我们的社会性大脑建立了基础，

so that by the time we're three, four years old,

在我们三、四岁的时候，

most children, not all,

大部分的孩子，不是所有的，

have acquired the ability to understand

都具备了领会

the intentions of others,

他人意图的能力，

another prerequisite for empathy.

这是另一个建立共情性的先决条件。

The fact that this developmental progression

事实上这种发育进展是

is universal,

具有普遍性的，

irrespective of where you live in the world

不管你住在哪里，

or which culture you inhabit,

不管你的文化背景如何，

strongly suggests that the foundations

这都很充分的证明了道德行为的基础

of moral behavior are inborn.

是天生的。

If you doubt this,

如果你有怀疑的话，

try, as I've done, to renege on a promise you've made

那就试试在一个四岁孩子面前

to a four-year-old.

失守承诺。

You will find that the mind of a four-year old

你就会知道一个四岁的孩子

is not naïve in the slightest.

一点都不好骗。

It is more akin to a Swiss army knife

它更像是一把瑞士军刀，

with fixed mental modules

有着经过仔细磨练的

finely honed during development

各种固定的金属组件

and a sharp sense of fairness.

以及强烈的公平意识。

The early years are crucial.

早期发育是非常关键的。

There seems to be a window of opportunity,

在某个时期还是有机会改正过来的，

after which mastering moral questions

但是过了那个时期

becomes more difficult,

影响道德行为将变得很难，

like adults learning a foreign language.

就像让成年人学一门外语一样。

That's not to say it's impossible.

但这并不意味着这是不可能的事情。

A recent, wonderful study from Stanford University

最近斯坦福大学有一项非常棒的研究表明

showed that people who have played

那些在虚拟游戏里

a virtual reality game in which they took on

扮演了乐于助人的

the role of a good and helpful superhero

超级英雄的人们

actually became more caring and helpful

在现实生活中也变得

towards others afterwards.

更有同情心和乐于助人了。

Now I'm not suggesting

我不是说

we endow criminals with superpowers,

要让犯人们有超能力，

but I am suggesting that we need to find ways

我的意思是我们需要找到

to get Joe and people like him

让乔和其他像他一样的人

to change their brains and their behavior,

改变他们大脑和行为的办法，

for their benefit

这对他们和

and for the benefit of the rest of us.

我们都有好处。

So can brains change?

那么大脑可以改变吗？

For over 100 years,

在超过100年的时间里，

neuroanatomists and later neuroscientists

神经解剖学家以及后来的神经学家

held the view that after initial development in childhood,

都认为成年后

no new brain cells could grow

大脑就不会再产生

in the adult human brain.

新的细胞。

The brain could only change

大脑只能在

within certain set limits.

某种程度上变化。

That was the dogma.

这就是过去的理念。

But then, in the 1990s,

但是，在上世纪90年代，

studies starting showing,

各项研究开始表明，

following the lead of Elizabeth Gould at Princeton and others,

在普林斯顿的伊丽莎白·古尔德 和其他人的领导下，

studies started showing the evidence of neurogenesis,

这些研究显示了神经发展的证据，

the birth of new brain cells

新的脑细胞

in the adult mammalian brain,

在成年哺乳动物大脑里产生，

first in the olfactory bulb,

首先在负责嗅觉的

which is responsible for our sense of smell,

嗅球里，

then in the hippocampus

然后在负责暂时记忆的

involving short-term memory,

海马体里，

and finally in the amygdala itself.

最后就是在杏仁体里。

In order to understand

为了弄明白这个过程是

how this process works,

如何发展的，

I left the psychopaths and joined a lab in Oxford

我离开了精神病患们并加入了

specializing in learning and development.

牛津的一个专门研究学习和发展的实验室。

Instead of psychopaths, I studied mice,

我的研究对象从精神病人变成了老鼠，

because the same pattern of brain responses

因为同样的大脑反应

appears across many different species of social animals.

在很多的社会性动物中都出现了。

So if you rear a mouse in a standard cage,

如果你在一个正常的笼子，或者是鞋盒里，

a shoebox, essentially, with cotton wool,

特别是有药棉的那种， 养一只老鼠，

alone and without much stimulation,

就让它孤零零的，

not only does it not thrive,

它不仅不会活跃，

but it will often develop strange,

反而还会有奇怪的、

repetitive behaviors.

重复的举动行为。

This naturally sociable animal

这种天生的社会动物

will lose its ability to bond with other mice,

就会失去和其他老鼠打交道的能力，

even becoming aggressive when introduced to them.

甚至会在见到其他老鼠的时候变得很好斗。

However, mice reared in what we called

正相反的是，那些在我们所谓的

an enriched environment,

丰富的环境里生活的老鼠，

a large habitation with other mice

它们跟其他的老鼠居住，

with wheels and ladders and areas to explore,

有轮子和梯子可玩以及其他的地方可以去，

demonstrate neurogenesis,

在这些老鼠的大脑里出现了神经发展，

the birth of new brain cells,

新的脑神经的产生，

and as we showed, they also perform better

同时，它们也在各种学习

on a range of learning and memory tasks.

和记忆任务中表现更出色。

Now, they don't develop morality to the point of

它们当然不会发展出

carrying the shopping bags of little old mice

为老老鼠过街提购物袋的

across the street,

文明举动来，

but their improved environment results in healthy,

但是他们所处的良好的环境导致了

sociable behavior.

健康的社会行为。

Mice reared in a standard cage, by contrast,

正相反，那些养在普通笼子里的老鼠们，

not dissimilar, you might say, from a prison cell,

你可能会说，这跟在监狱里没什么区别，

have dramatically lower levels of new neurons

它们大脑里产生的新的脑细胞却要

in the brain.

少得多。

It is now clear that the amygdala of mammals,

现在很清楚的是哺乳动物包括我们人类

including primates like us,

大脑里的杏仁体，

can show neurogenesis.

可以有神经发展。

In some areas of the brain,

在大脑的一些区域，

more than 20 percent of cells are newly formed.

大概20％的细胞是新形成的。

We're just beginning to understand

我们才刚开始研究

what exact function these cells have,

这些细胞的确切功能是什么，

but what it implies is that the brain is capable

但是这暗示了

of extraordinary change way into adulthood.

成年人的大脑也是可以有很惊人的变化的。

However, our brains are also

然而，我们的大脑

exquisitely sensitive to stress in our environment.

同时也对我们所处环境里的压力非常敏感。

Stress hormones, glucocorticoids,

压力应激激素、糖皮质激素，

released by the brain,

它们由大脑产生，

suppress the growth of these new cells.

并压抑了这些新细胞的生长。

The more stress, the less brain development,

压力越大，大脑的发展就越少，

which in turn causes less adaptability

这又导致了低适应能力和

and causes higher stress levels.

更多的压力。

This is the interplay between nature and nurture

这就是发生在当下的

in real time in front of our eyes.

先天和后天因素之间的相互作用。

When you think about it,

大家想想看，

it is ironic that our current solution

讽刺的是，我们现在对待这些

for people with stressed amygdalae

有着极大精神压力的人们的方法就是

is to place them in an environment

把他们放在一个

that actually inhibits any chance of further growth.

永远也不会有助于杏仁体增长的环境下。

Of course, imprisonment is a necessary part

当然，监狱系统是

of the criminal justice system

刑事司法系统和保护社会的

and of protecting society.

一个必要组成部分。

Our research does not suggest

我们的研究并不建议

that criminals should submit their MRI scans

让犯人都用他们的核磁共振扫描结果，

as evidence in court

凭着他们有受损的杏仁体

and get off the hook because they've got a faulty amygdala.

就让他们免除牢狱之灾。

The evidence is actually the other way.

实际情况恰恰相反。

Because our brains are capable of change,

因为我们的大脑是可以改变的，

we need to take responsibility for our actions,

我们需要对我们的行为负责，

and they need to take responsibility

而他们也要对他们的康复

for their rehabilitation.

做出努力。

One way such rehabilitation might work

一种方法就是通过

is through restorative justice programs.

恢复性司法方案来达到康复的目的。

Here victims, if they choose to participate,

如果受害人愿意，可以和

肇事者在一个安全、有序的环境下

and perpetrators meet face to face

in safe, structured encounters,

面对面交流，

and the perpetrator is encouraged

然后鼓励肇事者要对

to take responsibility for their actions,

他们的行为负责，

and the victim plays an active role in the process.

受害人同时也扮演着一个重要的角色。

In such a setting, the perpetrator can see,

在这样的情景下，肇事者可以意识到，

perhaps for the first time,

可能也是第一次意识到，

the victim as a real person

受害人是一个真实的个体，

with thoughts and feelings and a genuine

是有想法和情绪以及

emotional response.

真实情感的个体。

This stimulates the amygdala

这会刺激大脑中的杏仁体

and may be a more effective rehabilitative practice

这可能是比简单的关禁闭

than simple incarceration.

更有效的康复练习。

Such programs won't work for everyone,

这种项目不会适用于所有人，

but for many, it could be a way

但是对于很多人，这可能是

to break the frozen sea within.

改变的开始。

So what can we do now?

那么我们现在能做些什么呢？

How can we apply this knowledge?

我们如何在实践中应用这些知识呢？

I'd like to leave you with

我想和大家分享

three lessons that I learned.

我学到的三点。

The first thing that I learned was that

第一点就是

we need to change our mindset.

我们需要改变想法。

Since Wormwood Scrubs was built 130 years ago,

自130年前沃姆伍德斯克鲁伯斯监狱建立以来，

society has advanced in virtually every aspect,

社会已经在几乎所有的方面都有了发展，

in the way we run our schools, our hospitals.

包括我们管理学校、医院的方式。

Yet the moment we speak about prisons,

然而当我们说起监狱的时候，

it's as though we're back in Dickensian times,

就好像我们还处在狄更斯时代，

if not medieval times.

如果不是中世纪的话。

For too long, I believe,

我相信，有太长时间，

we've allowed ourselves to be persuaded

我们让自己坚信着

of the false notion that human nature cannot change,

人性是不可改变的错误观点，

and as a society, it's costing us dearly.

而这对社会的消耗是极大的。

We know that the brain is capable of extraordinary change,

我们知道大脑是可以有惊人变化的，

and the best way to achieve that,

而达到这些变化的最好方式就是，

even in adults, is to change and modulate

改变我们的环境，

our environment.

这对成人也适用。

The second thing I have learned

我学到的第二点就是

is that we need to create an alliance

我们需要把所有

of people who believe that science is integral

相信科学是社会变革不可分割的组成部分的人们

to bringing about social change.

联合起来。

It's easy enough for a neuroscientist to place

让神经学家把一个重刑犯放在核磁共振扫描仪上

a high-security inmate in an MRI scanner.

是一件相当轻松的事情。

Well actually, that turns out not to be so easy,

实际上，那也不是很容易的事，

but ultimately what we want to show

但最终我们想知道的是

is whether we're able to reduce the reoffending rates.

我们是否有能力来降低再犯罪率。

In order to answer complex questions like that,

为了回答像这样的复杂的问题，

we need people of different backgrounds --

我们需要来自不同背景的人们 －

lab-based scientists and clinicians,

实验室里的科学家和临床医生、

social workers and policy makers,

社会工作者和决策者、

philanthropists and human rights activists —

慈善家和人权活动家 －

to work together.

一同合作。

Finally, I believe we need

最后，我相信我们需要

to change our own amygdalae,

改变我们自己的杏仁体，

because this issue goes to the heart

因为这个问题归根结底

not just of who Joe is,

不是乔是谁，

but who we are.

而是我们是谁。

We need to change our view of Joe

我们需要改变认为乔是

as someone wholly irredeemable,

无可救药的观点，

because if we see Joe as wholly irredeemable,

因为如果我们认为乔无可救药的话，

how is he going to see himself as any different?

他又怎么能认为自己会有任何改变呢？

In another decade, Joe will be released

再有十年，乔就要从监狱里

from Wormwood Scrubs.

释放出来了。

Will he be among the 70 percent of inmates

他会和其他70％的犯人一样

who end up reoffending

重操旧业

and returning to the prison system?

然后再被关到监狱里吗？

Wouldn't it be better if, while serving his sentence,

如果在他服刑的时候，

Joe was able to train his amygdala,

有机会能够锻炼他的杏仁体，

which would stimulate the growth of new brain cells

来促进新的脑细胞的产生和连接，

and connections,

这样不是更好吗?

so that he will be able to face the world

这样在他出狱的时候他就可以

once he gets released?

再次面对这个世界了。

Surely, that would be in the interest of all of us.

毫无疑问，这对我们大家都有利。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you. (Applause)

谢谢。（掌声）