A hikikomori who concluded the only way to end his shut-in status was to burn his home to the ground is currently battling arson charges, on the grounds that he was insane at the time.
The 22-year-old unemployed hikikomori stands accused of dousing the ground floor of his abode in kerosene, stuffing his oven with newspaper as kindling, and then setting the whole place ablaze.
The 2 storey 70 square metre dwelling subsequently burned to the ground. Nobody was injured in the fire.
He has been charged with arson involving an inhabited building, charges he admits but denies responsibility for with the defence that he was afflicted with a mental illness.
In the opening hearing of his trial, prosecutors insisted he was culpable:
“The accused pursued a hikikomori lifestyle and himself said ‘I’ll continue being a hikkimori as long as I have my home,’ so there is no scope for denying the crime or his motives.”
On the other hand, his defence contends he was not culpable due to his crazed hikikomori status:
“He was in no way in a state to control his own actions.”
The trial continues, although online at least his resolve in seeking to leave his hikikomori lifestyle behind – without stabbing to death his family, at least – has won him admirers.
Teach hikikomoris how to lucid/conscious dream! 😀
A lucid dream is a dream, in which, you know that you’re dreaming, while you’re still in the dream. The existence of lucid dreaming is a fact, it was proven by science, by Stephen LaBerge.
Lucid dreaming is total freedom, but you can achieve it, and control dreams, only with some practice. But hikikomoris have enough time, I think. The time needed, to have the first lucid dream, after the beginning of the practice, is variable from person to person, it can take 1 week, a month, or 3 months. In a lucid dream, you can do anything that you can imagine – with the realness of waking reality – without real consequences. Many people are using it, to have fun, and to experience awsomeness.
What you can also do with lucid dreaming, is getting in touch with your subconscious. Everything in your dreams – the environment, dream characters, situations – are representing you. You can analyse these, and ask questions from the dream characters, or from the dream itself. It can lead to beneficial realizations about yourself.
Facing with challenges, nightmares, fears, or undesired situations, while you’re “lucid”, can be beneficial too, you can overcome your fears that way, without real danger.
The favourable points for hikikomoris about lucid dreaming are: it is more real than any of the mmo’s or other games; you can learn how to do it, by reading the internet; you don’t need to buy anything; you don’t need to go anywhere, to practice it; you can learn it alone; you don’t need to go out, to “go out”.
Check Lucidipedia.com for more information!
Was his name Edward Elric?
I can follow his reasoning. It’s not sane, and I really think this guy should get help rather then jail. Jail will likely only fuel the anxiety. One of the largest obstacles with severe social anxiety can often be actually asking for help. Putting one’s own home on fire/hurting others/doing irrational things one know is wrong can sometimes still be easier to do then putting trust in someone and asking for help.
Hikikomori essentially translates to severe social anxiety disorder in English for those that don’t know, and is often linked with Asperger’s as well if I’m not mistaken.
You don’t ”pursue” a mental disorder.
The sad fact that people take serious issues so lightly is why those suffering go without treatments in the first place.
Japan should develope hikikomori help system.