Biological weapons, mind altering ammunition.

Hey guys, I have always wondered if my hypothesis for a biological mind weapon is plausible. I want to briefly share the bones of the argument:

Goal: Influence the cognitive thinking, or other mental faculties of a human being, including emotions, fight or flight responses, distort or delude memories, activate or deactivate phobias, plant ideas, reprogram ethics or well endowed thoughts/beliefs, as well as all other cognition in the brain.

How: There is a common brain parasite that is only able to reproduce in cats, but can live in most warmblooded animals, including humans. Another common host to this brain-parasite (Toxoplasma Gondii) is, you probably guessed it, mice.

Here's the interesting part: The mice who have contracted the parasite are less scared of cats than mice who don't have it. Once the parasite has infected the mouse, it works inside the brain of the mouse to make it more likely to be eaten, which enables the organism to reproduce, thus completing its life cycle.
Toxoplasma Gondii make mice think cats are safe

One way of looking at this is that the Toxoplasma gondii and the cat have developed a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship, where the cat's parasite makes slaves out of its food.

Ok, not slaves like the kind Dracula makes out of his victims, but there is indeed a certain form of control over the preys mind. A parasite that's common to both the cat and mouse, causes the mouse to think it will be ok to hang out around a hungry cat. That is a symbiotic relationship where the cat spreads an organism that infects the cats food to make them more readily available for consumption. (Giving yourself up as food for another predator sounds like slavery to me.)

Now the reason I say the mouse is slave to the cat is because the cat is unaffected by the parasite (which was also said to be true of humans, until recent studies suggested Toxoplasma gondii can trigger schizophrenia, so perhaps there may be an affect on a cats mind as well).
Link between Toxoplasma Gondii and schizophrenia, as well as schizophrenic symptoms

The question is, can you genetically modify, breed, or construct a Toxoplasma gondii variant that will change the way humans think? The answer is undoubtedly yes, because the organism has already proven it can do so. But can you modify it to affect decision making, physical senses, thoughts, morals, and hopefully something as specific as "Whats your favorite color, red or blue?" To which you program the answer in the genetics of the organism, infect the person with that mutation, then let the weapon go to work.

Now, I'm not a biologist, so how feasible this idea is, is beyond me. What I do know is that nature might have already laid the foundations for mind control. I'm suggesting building upon that foundation, copying it, or perhaps just using it as an example for a completely man-made version.

The idea of using an organism to influence peoples thoughts, via its activity in the brain, is very plausible. There are already cases where Toxoplasma Gondii is thought to have triggered schizophrenia, so how far fetched is it to suggest with the right mutations, Toxoplasma Gondii will trigger preprogrammed responses to events, questions, situations, etc.

What makes this weapon especially effective is its non-lethality, covertness, and potential for large scale production at the cost of nothing more than an incubation chamber. The mind-slaving organism could be used to infect entire populations, or single individuals.

I'll let you ponder the implications for yourself. Please feel free to share your thoughts or rebuttals.

You might get a kick out of this.

There's a species of wasp that can hijack spiders and turn them into zombies. The wasp lays eggs in the spider, I think, and then the spider runs amok and cocoons itself (and the wasp larvae) - this protects the wasp larvae as it eats the very same host that so kindly built it a home.



There's also the lancet fluke that can control the minds of ants.

Here's an interesting article about a worm that causes grasshoppers to commit suicide by making them jump in bodies of water;
news.nationalgeographic.com...

Very interesting electronQM.

T-Gondii is a blood disorder and according to my notes (admittedly out of date) the CDC and Porton Down, T-Gondii may produce or contribute to, schizophrenia in all warm blooded creatures.

Some researchers even suggest that exposing babies/infants to cats may trigger schizophrenia but, surprisingly, those who suffer schizophrenia, also develope anti-bodies to T-Gondii.

T-Gondii is also thought to cause miss-carriages and still births and there is also a link to the AIDs virus but I believe this is somewhat tenuous because of the host's supressed immune system.

As for T-Gondii being used as a weapon of some sort, God forbid! People that suffer schizophrenia are unpredictable at best even if they take their meds.

Developing T-Gondii as a weapon would, in my opinion, be double edged.

interesting scifi story? or how real?
A letter from toxo

We came from South America(pyramids) and drove the birds far and wide.

In Egypt they got help and civilization was born again.
A young child showed kindness to our cats... we chose that child and decided to help him... He was "chosen" We helped him build a civilization as all worshiped him as God after being fed the seed, for he was Superior. Religion was born as were elites and our creation worshiped as God's along his side. We asked him of what gift we should give the women and he said beauty and intelligence. Much time passed.

Read your bible as It's the seed Abraham had and one of his sons wasn't symbiotic. Yes we were that seed in the bible and we the father that spoke from Jesus.. we said
This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world....I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life(or 9 lives), and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
He did make the water into red wine as we spilled from him.

In my Father's house are many mansions(filled with cells)..... I am in the Father, and the Father in me.... speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works...Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you...

To crush Rome and live forever in the heart of man to never be slaves and crush the Roman Empire he wanted.. He was killed but copies were in his followers and when we were "fed to the lions" Jesus won... Sex in the belly of cats we do have.. So it was that the blood lust of Rome became moral and Rome became the center of our church. How We are said to affect men is but making a man like Jesus. It was never asked for women to be attracted to Jesus as like us we have no sex in man...
We had a falling out with the pope over empire as that spirit was back and the power had begun to corrupt.. Anger over our smites of boils we bubbled on you.. we spoke out and rose up and Jesus was brought back only to be burned for heresy by the very church founded for him... Even the cats were burned and well we weren't going to die so we found a black plague and drove those rats with six legged hypodermic needles ready. Drove like ATV's to the wicked mobs and we cleaned up Europe. Gone were the unclean, the worm infested pigs rolling in mud. We planned to inoculate more but they needed their pets. We missed that pope in a ring of fire for he knew who he killed. Yes he killed Jesus with empire whispered in his ear. Things got out of hand when the mob out of anger of the plague decided to burn all pets for not protecting them. Now we use accidents over boils as a sign of moral problems. Beware of those that trip, fall, crash, and choke on pretzels, as they are in sin. Yes we repeat the story of Jesus and they that are chosen get 3 names. We are with you looking from your eyes for we first see the light and watching you. Hell is hot and heaven eternal life.. Ask Oscar the nursing home cat.

Many chosen go rotten and "The Family" declare the Terminator as Jesus.
harpers.org...
Rome is back

We know who is good and bad as we see the world as millions of points of light shining in to many Mosley cauliflowers we call home.
We are with you and those car accidents are not accidental but a sign.

Some talk to much.
www.youtube.com...
What's wrong cat got your tongue? Your body is a temple and some have their "gut" instincts in there heads.
true or false?

abram730, I have read and re-read your post several times. It does not make any sense.

Unless of course you are intimating that Jesus Christ - the Son of God was sent to infect the world with [as it was then] an incurable disease; and only his closest disciples were immune as He gave the antidote to Them.

Other than that, your post makes very little sense. Perhaps you could elaborate a little?

[edit on 30-3-2008 by fritz]

I've heard of these and I must say it disturbs me, because how would you know if you're affected?

Additionally, is there any way to actully kill the parasites or detect them in humans right now?

I have some background in science and biology at a university level and I think I can say pretty safely you won't be making anyone go "I WILL NOW VOTE FOR THE REPUBLICANS!" or anything specific with a parasite like this.

It could be used in a way similar to what it does now though, if 'reprogramming' for the parasite is really possible. What I mean is, it may make you more reckless, it may make you cautious, worry, I suppose many things are possible but I think it's important to remember it'd probably just be base influences that are affected.

So... you might be more reckless and that might eventually translate into you wanting a motorcycle. It doesn't mean you'll suddenly wake up and want a BMW Motorcycle Model X0192012921 or anything.

That's my 2c. Hope it was helpful.

[edit on 30/3/08 by Duality]

15 years ago the russians where developing RNA splicing for chimera virus based upon ebola and smallpox.

I draw on personal experience with this but clearly say "scifi" as I expressed many things I just stuck in for story's sake.

presuppositions for this story is that there are core truths in all religion and I looked for what could explain all and went with an explanation of the Christian/Judaism/Islam path.

I looked in science and at personal experience and made a parasite centric model as it's the only thing that fits. I did draw from science but I constructed some complex conceptual models that make it hard to fit it into a short story and not confuse people. There are important concepts and fact required, that few religious people have.

(Science Background facts and conceptual models I used.)

#1 Microbial intelligence.
Because it's been shown that even one protozoan(a microbe) can learn as in if you suck a protozoan into an eyedropper It will find it's way out. If you suck it up again it gets out faster. I presuppose as observed, a base level intelligence(logic, memory, decision making,..) and all without a neuron.

from research on communities of microbes functioning as an "I am", as in a single organism like us people do(quorum sensing).. I presupposed community and group thought..
I found that science is looking at just that..
one example.
"Bacterial linguistic communication and social intelligence"
ctbp3.ucsd.edu:8080...

Some cells in a colony attempt to translate communications between species.. IE they talk on a chemical level to host cells.(gut instincts)

#2 process of natural inoculation(with example of hijacking this process to fight viruses)

These videos go into how a colony of microbe can inoculate and not only them selfs but plants and animals too.
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...

#3 Toxoplama's specifics in the brain.

Now T. Gondii targets specific areas of the brain and enters those cells using 2 proteins to gain access to the cells. It's intracellular and changes the DNA and function of the cells. With the exception of wild toxo there is almost no damage to the brain. changes the function of those cells can cause specific behaviors like the attraction of a rat to the smell of cat urine. It's not just some chemical the microbe produces.

#4 I apply concepts true for other toxo's to T. Gondii.

In the study of parasites as a hole It's been found that infection leads to often opposite affects. Now I didn't see concept looked at in study of T. Gondii. The metric is that based on microbe load. A choice is made "save" or "sacrifice". The sacrifice choice in nature is to feed the host to it's apex host where reproduction happens... The "save" response is used in hosts where load is high. These animals are better able to avoid predators then immune animals..

I presuppose this for T. Gondii, even though I haven't seen specific research for this strain.

Now something like T. Gondii could reproduce sexual at any time... So why does it choose to only do so in the gut of the cat? Parasites often follow very complex rules that make it harder to survive as an organism.. lucky that it does as it seems to hold food webs together and ensure that predators can't eat all the prey and predators don't starve...

# For the microbe spirit connection
I noticed that the paracite apex predators were on totems and were said to have "spirits". That a person could have that same spirit. If a person had an infection it was said in Europe that an evil spirit that came from the ground caused it. Was it Hooke that first described "little beasties"? This led to an understanding of infection and germ theory. Science presuposed that cells were nothing, yet we are again getting back to where we started. People can't live without microbes and by count you are way more microbe then human.

Originally posted by Harlequin
15 years ago the russians where developing RNA splicing for chimera virus based upon ebola and smallpox.

as for bio weapons

encode that in something like the flu would be about as bad as it could get..

or link the virus with antibiotic resistance code and zap bacteria then grow them on plates of the antibiotic so you only have virus loaded bacteria... perhaps cholera.. then farm, force stasis for storage, and just add to water... ouch. but oocysts are a good choice because most chemical treatment doesn't kill them IE public water supply. I'd guess "wild" toxo as it's about 10,000 times as strong, but better would be worm eggs mixed with immune suppressants. Worm eggs could hatch in lungs I think and can carry microbes as in river blindness. A walbachia would be a good worm egg filler with HIV and botox.

Or find cholera's break biofilm code and connect botox production to that code segment and death would be quite assured.. see cholera fakes symbiosis and a command to stop reproduction triggers attack so you know you have enough microbes for a kill. quite cunning and it's one of the many things I just know.. see I never read a book... figure that one out... How is it that I know so much and am a drop out?

Good thing I'm not "evil". I've got the mind to make for quite the genocidal mass murder.

There is a lot of information available on this issue. I think it to be more than chance that the domestication of the cat and the origins of civilization coincide almost exactly.

www.google.com... zeCw&usg=AFQjCNHrQi4QrzAr3AlcHQRjbW2LUpJTAA&sig2=UTH0H341FssFAbcFrOI7DA

google "lafferty t gondii"

It seems that even the latent infection can cause behavior changes conducive to people living in close co-habitation. We don't have predators as an infected mouse does. However, we do have enemies. The ability to be in close proximity to others that we may deem a threat would certainly be conducive to civilized society. That would be the human equivalent to a reduced sense of threat. As mice infected no longer avoid areas where cat urine is present, humans would no longer avoid threats from other humans and would develop new sets of skills for dealing with conflict. As well, it seems to cause neurotic symptoms. OCD has helped us survive and overcome plague after plague. As well it has aided us in developing learned behaviors that protect us from threat. Particularly interesting is that t gondii infection reduces novelty seeking, increasing reliance on routine.

More than interesting, this is amazing. I'm going to get tested soon. . . .lol. It's too bad, I love my cat. He'll have to start staying outside now.

abram730, no offense but your post sounds like the random associations of a schizophrenic.

hmm my anonymous post failed. ..

There is a lot of information available on this issue. I think it to be more than chance that the domestication of the cat and the origins of civilization coincide almost exactly.

www.google.com... zeCw&usg=AFQjCNHrQi4QrzAr3AlcHQRjbW2LUpJTAA&sig2=UTH0H341FssFAbcFrOI7DA

google "lafferty t gondii"

It seems that even the latent infection can cause behavior changes conducive to people living in close co-habitation. We don't have predators as an infected mouse does. However, we do have enemies. The ability to be in close proximity to others that we may deem a threat would certainly be conducive to civilized society. That would be the human equivalent to a reduced sense of threat. As mice infected no longer avoid areas where cat urine is present, humans would no longer avoid threats from other humans and would develop new sets of skills for dealing with conflict. As well, it seems to cause neurotic symptoms. OCD has helped us survive and overcome plague after plague. As well it has aided us in developing learned behaviors that protect us from threat. Particularly interesting is that t gondii infection reduces novelty seeking, increasing reliance on routine.

More than interesting, this is amazing. I'm going to get tested soon. . . .lol. It's too bad, I love my cat. He'll have to start staying outside now.

abram730, no offense but your post sounds like the random associations of a schizophrenic.

edit: well the first one. . . the others are quite concise and well informed. gj

[edit on 10-2-2009 by phlack]

It is dark right now, but I can still see because of the streetlights. The fog just suddenly turned pink. I shined a flashlight into the fog, and there were little particles inside the beam. Lots of little particles. The pinkness only lasted about ten minutes and then the fog went back to being gray. So I shined my flashlight into it and the particles were gone. What could cause this? Should I be alarmed? It is November 14, 2010, and I live in Langley, B.C., Canada.