Peter Lamont
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198568773
- eISBN:
- 9780191693779
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568773.003.0003
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
There are many examples of believers in spiritualism coming to similarly strange conclusions. They can be seen as glaring illustrations of how people can base their beliefs upon a lack of critical ...
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There are many examples of believers in spiritualism coming to similarly strange conclusions. They can be seen as glaring illustrations of how people can base their beliefs upon a lack of critical thinking, and as evidence to support a very old argument that continues to this day: that belief in the paranormal is the product of ignorance, gullibility and wishful thinking. The history of the paranormal illustrates that there are all sorts of people who believe in the paranormal, as there are all sorts of people who disbelieve. Meanwhile, disbelief in the paranormal has also been based upon ignorance, gullibility and wishful thinking, and paranormal phenomena have been not only supported but also rejected by appealing to misleading evidence. It may be that there is an overall difference between believers and disbelievers in terms of how they observe and think, but the findings at present are, at best, inconclusive.Less
There are many examples of believers in spiritualism coming to similarly strange conclusions. They can be seen as glaring illustrations of how people can base their beliefs upon a lack of critical thinking, and as evidence to support a very old argument that continues to this day: that belief in the paranormal is the product of ignorance, gullibility and wishful thinking. The history of the paranormal illustrates that there are all sorts of people who believe in the paranormal, as there are all sorts of people who disbelieve. Meanwhile, disbelief in the paranormal has also been based upon ignorance, gullibility and wishful thinking, and paranormal phenomena have been not only supported but also rejected by appealing to misleading evidence. It may be that there is an overall difference between believers and disbelievers in terms of how they observe and think, but the findings at present are, at best, inconclusive.
Donald Prothero and Daniel Loxton
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231153201
- eISBN:
- 9780231526814
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231153201.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
Throughout our history, humans have been captivated by mythic beasts and legendary creatures. Tales of Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness monster are part of our collective experience. This book ...
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Throughout our history, humans have been captivated by mythic beasts and legendary creatures. Tales of Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness monster are part of our collective experience. This book explores and elucidates the fascinating world of cryptozoology. This is an entertaining, educational, and definitive text on cryptids, presenting the arguments both for and against their existence and systematically challenging the pseudoscience that perpetuates their myths. After examining the nature of science and pseudoscience and their relation to cryptozoology, the book takes on Bigfoot; the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, and its cross-cultural incarnations; the Loch Ness monster and its highly publicized sightings; the evolution of the Great Sea Serpent; and Mokele Mbembe, or the Congo dinosaur. It concludes with an analysis of the psychology behind the persistent belief in paranormal phenomena, identifying the major players in cryptozoology, discussing the character of its subculture, and considering the challenge it poses to clear and critical thinking in our increasingly complex world.Less
Throughout our history, humans have been captivated by mythic beasts and legendary creatures. Tales of Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness monster are part of our collective experience. This book explores and elucidates the fascinating world of cryptozoology. This is an entertaining, educational, and definitive text on cryptids, presenting the arguments both for and against their existence and systematically challenging the pseudoscience that perpetuates their myths. After examining the nature of science and pseudoscience and their relation to cryptozoology, the book takes on Bigfoot; the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, and its cross-cultural incarnations; the Loch Ness monster and its highly publicized sightings; the evolution of the Great Sea Serpent; and Mokele Mbembe, or the Congo dinosaur. It concludes with an analysis of the psychology behind the persistent belief in paranormal phenomena, identifying the major players in cryptozoology, discussing the character of its subculture, and considering the challenge it poses to clear and critical thinking in our increasingly complex world.
