ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book attempts to analyse the mental state of a suicide killer inspired by religious fanaticism. It concerns the role of religion, gender, and sociopolitical processes as substrates for terrorist acts. The book focuses on the concepts of victimization, dehumanization, and generalized fear. It explores the mental processes that may be at work in the perpetrators. The book also attempts to identify the mental processes and dynamics of large groups involved in the phenomenon of terrorism. It contends that poverty and illiteracy are not the decisive determinants of terrorism. The book emphasizes the link between trauma and terrorism, and shows that, in the case of a trauma following an ethnic, national, or religious conflict, the affected group regresses and the development of community life is blocked.
