"Splitting off parts of the self is a psychological mechanism that occurs at an unconscious level, but its effects are felt consciously, and help shift the gaze away from the individual's direct role in evil deeds: 'That cannot be me. It was my 'trigger hand' that killed.' Distancing himself from and casting away the evil part of his body was an effort at self-preservation. But it was also an illustration of how fragmented he was---a person broken into bits struggling to achieve some sense of wholeness."

-----Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, from "A Human Being Died That Night: A South African Study in Forgiveness"