The Sociopath Who Grew a Conscience: The Ground-breaking Case of Shawn McCraney

Produced by Matt Bywater MSc

Original Post:

Preview 00:00
Introduction 01:43

PART I – MAKING OF A SOCIOPATH 02:47

Empathy and being different 02:53
Manipulation and Control 09:55
Fear and Abandonment 13:21
Anger and Violence 14:19
Sociopathy 17:50
Self-Harm 26:33
Family and Upbringing 28:04
God and Mormonism 33:14

PART II – TRANSFORMATION & CHANGE 50:20

Seeking out mental health care 50:25
The Roadside Experience 55:13
Taking the HARE Psychopathy Test 01:12:58
Developing a conscience 01:14:29
Leaving Mormonism and Re-Understanding Sin and Harm 01:34:01
Why should we believe you? 01:40:13

PART III – CONTINUANCE & THE FUTURE 01:41:53

Identity Warfare 01:41:58
Living without God 01:44:26
A bio-psycho-social or a spiritual explanation? 01:58:11
Life’s Journey 02:02:05

Conclusion 02:02:58

Pastor Shawn McCraney was diagnosed with sociopathy (anti-social personality disorder) as a young man and exhibited all the predatory traits associated with this condition. After having a family, seeking out mental health support, having a religious epiphany at a roadside and then leaving Mormonism, Shawn found a way to develop empathy and grow a conscience. He is living proof that sociopathy is not an immutable condition.

I reached out to Shawn after Shawn revealed some of his history on the podcast Mormon Stories, and I began the task of documenting his life story. We are currently producing a book titled “Sociopathy: An Option Undiscovered: The Ground-Breaking Case of Shawn McCraney” which will compile our transcribed interviews, contributions from Shawn’s family and friends, along with expert commentary from academic researchers, professionals and clinicians. Our hope is to contribute to the clinical study and societal understanding of anti-social personality disorder. If you would like to contribute to the book , please reach out at mattb.virtualresearcher@gmail.com.