But if we're speculating, I think there is a definite spiritual element that was part of this, so I don't see it as only a case of someone being mentally ill... but as I said, I don't want to come to conclusions, I'm just sharing my thoughts based on what I've seen so far.
I would agree with what you’ve said incindiary. I don’t think he was completely unaware of his surrounding, nor able to make decisions like you are suggesting spunkets. I would also caution against blaming all of this on his upbringing and his parents. You are making assumptions that everything he has written about his home life is true — and assuming some things he never even mentioned.
You say that he didn’t know G-d... I don’t think you can honestly say that for sure, can you? I won’t say that I know he DID, but neither can you make an assumption that he did NOT... And, even if one does not know G-d, one can definitely be influenced by the world of satanism — perhaps even moreso if one doesn’t know G-d. Even a secularist, or non-Christian, non-religious person could understand how something so dark, violent, and “evil” could influence someone’s way of thinking.
I know there are a lot of different ways psychosis can present, but IMHO it doesn’t appear that he was completely unable to make decisions...
I admire your charity and reticence.
However, there’s plenty on the table for me to hazard a large amount of speculations and conjectures. LOL.
There’s actually quite a lot of info in the public domain.
I’ve had to decide folks’ naval careers on a lot less info.