[quote=@Balance]
<Snipped quote by Valiance>

-Maddie- That's for Data to talk about! Data, data?
[/quote]

It is essentially causing these beings to behave as machines; they hold no regard for morality, but perform the actions they believe will benefit them, and rather poorly, I might add. It separates their original selves from what exists externally, allowing for corruption to control them rather than themselves, similar to a mental disease.