306 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BuU. 176 



in the last resort, the Mohave implicitly equate the pathological de- 

 structiveness and self-destructiveness of shamans and braves with 

 that of infants, and implicitly differentiate it from the reactive sui- 

 cidalness of tramnatized individuals. In so doing, they actually — 

 and legitimately — differentiate between healthy assertiveness and 

 pathological, hate-laden destructiveness.^^ 



Tlie psychic state of the prospective suicide must be sharply differ- 

 entiated from his motivation, although, needless to say, one's motiva- 

 tion and the affect which accompanies the behavioral implementation 

 of one's motives are closely interrelated. The point to be stressed 

 here is that the affective state of the prospective suicide need not be 

 depression pure and simple, nor even depression combined with other 

 ego-dystonic or dysphoric affects. Indeed, it is reasonable to suppose 

 that "heroic" or ostentatious forms of suicide are characterized by 

 exaltation rather than by manifest depression.^* The affective state 

 which the Mohave impute to most suicides is not a sudden surge of 

 violence. Few Mohave seem to become suddenly so enraged and des- 

 perate that they kill themselves. In almost every instance the suicide 

 was stated to be the culmination of a long process of psychic incuba- 

 tion, although the actual act may have occurred at a moment when 

 the individual suddenly felt that he had endured as much as he 

 might reasonably be exj)ected to endure. Thus, the Mohave do not 

 feel that the suicide is necessarily insane, as does occidental juris- 

 prudence, which views suicide as the outcome of a temporary insanity 

 that, presumably, strilvcs its victim "out of the blue." Rather do 

 they view the suicide as a person lacking in psychic stamina and 

 resiliency. (Cf. the section on attitudes toward suicide, pt. 7, pp. 

 308-313.) 



Needless to say, from the anthropological point of view it is 

 wholly beside the point whether or not the Mohave are right in view- 

 ing every form of suicide as the final product of a long process of 

 incubation. What matters is that they would so view it even if every 

 single case of suicide were demonstrably the product of a sudden 

 breakthrough of self-destructive impulses of psychotic intensity. 

 Indeed, the notion that all decisive steps in life are taken after a 

 long period of meditation is deeply embedded in Mohave culture. 

 Normal fetuses think of how to be born, while shamanistic fetuses 

 think of how not to be born (Devereux, 1948 b) ; forcibly weaned 

 infants constantly think of their future rivals, who currently 

 occupy the maternal womb (Devereux, 1947 a ; and pt. 7, pp. 340-348) ; 

 twins appraise life carefully before deciding whether to live or to die 



Tt Is InteresUng to note, at least In passlni?, that the chief champions of primary self- 

 destructlvenesB, or of the death instinct, do not even seem to be aware of the Importance 

 of this distinction. 



"* Compare in this context descriptions of the behavior of self-appointed martyrs, Includ- 

 ing heretics, etc., at the stake. 



