Why we want to believe
8-19-08 - If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say 
I came across a great article this morning which helps understand why so many people believe in U.F.O.s, astral projections, mental telepathy, E.S.P., clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full-trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster, and the theory of Atlantis, etc?
Brian Cronk, a professor of psychology at Missouri Western State University says,"Many people quite simply just want to believe...The human brain is always trying to determine why things happen, and when the reason is not clear, we tend to make up some pretty bizarre explanations."
Professor Carson Mencken of Baylor University said, "Christians and New Agers, paranormalists, etc. all have one thing in common: a spiritual orientation to the world".
In a poll of college students, 56% believed in psychics or spiritual healing or the power of the human mind to heal th body. 40% believing that a house can be haunted.
Rod Stark, a team member on the survey at Baylor University, states, "Perhaps amazingly, [paranormal beliefs] are not related at all to education..Ph.D.s are as likely as high school dropouts to believe in Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, ghosts, etc."
With all these interviews, it's pretty understood that regardless of location, regardless of education, regardless of age, the belief in the paranormal and the supernatural is almost a natural aspect of our day to day lives.
(Sources : MSNBC, LiveScience)
I came across a great article this morning which helps understand why so many people believe in U.F.O.s, astral projections, mental telepathy, E.S.P., clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full-trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster, and the theory of Atlantis, etc?
Brian Cronk, a professor of psychology at Missouri Western State University says,"Many people quite simply just want to believe...The human brain is always trying to determine why things happen, and when the reason is not clear, we tend to make up some pretty bizarre explanations."
Professor Carson Mencken of Baylor University said, "Christians and New Agers, paranormalists, etc. all have one thing in common: a spiritual orientation to the world".
In a poll of college students, 56% believed in psychics or spiritual healing or the power of the human mind to heal th body. 40% believing that a house can be haunted.
Rod Stark, a team member on the survey at Baylor University, states, "Perhaps amazingly, [paranormal beliefs] are not related at all to education..Ph.D.s are as likely as high school dropouts to believe in Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, ghosts, etc."
With all these interviews, it's pretty understood that regardless of location, regardless of education, regardless of age, the belief in the paranormal and the supernatural is almost a natural aspect of our day to day lives.
(Sources : MSNBC, LiveScience)
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