The men would all say that they had died,' Gilligan said. 'These were the most incorrigibly violent characters. They would all say that they themselves had died. They felt dead inside. They had no capacity for feelings. No emotional feelings. Or even physical feelings. So some would cut themselves. Or they would mutilate themselves in the most horrible ways. Not because they felt guilty - this wasn't a penance for their sins - but because they wanted to see if they had feelings. They found their inner numbness more tormenting than even the physical pain would be.