Extraordinary Beliefs

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EXTRAORDINARY BELIEFS by Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell on Apple Podcasts

Be the first to ask a question about Extraordinary Beliefs. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Nakul Shenoy rated it liked it Jan 13, A rated it liked it Nov 17, Lewis rated it it was amazing Dec 01, Smith rated it liked it Jun 29, Sean M Messenger rated it really liked it Jul 26, Elza rated it liked it Jul 03, Pilar Rivett marked it as to-read Mar 28, Trudy marked it as to-read May 26, Jeremy Russell marked it as to-read Jun 03, Michael Larson marked it as to-read Sep 20, Steve Townsend marked it as to-read May 12, Jason marked it as to-read May 17, John marked it as to-read Jun 02, Bogdana Huma marked it as to-read Jun 05, Frank Spencer marked it as to-read Jun 09, Jennifer marked it as to-read Jun 17, Kat marked it as to-read Jul 04, Clayton marked it as to-read Jul 09, Essie Snell marked it as to-read Jul 13, Malika Anhel marked it as to-read Aug 10, Andrew marked it as to-read Nov 06, Katherine Nabity marked it as to-read Dec 21, This is true for a lot of social and emotional contexts.

There is a lot of evidence that supports self-fulfilling prophecies. Most of the evidence comes from the placebo effect. The placebo effect has been demonstrated many times and the main outcome is that participants who used the placebo have shown increases in health or wellness although there was no real medication. This states that believing in something helps our immune system, which helps us recover.

This shows that people who believe in faith healing are uninformed. It is likely that they have never heard of self-fulfilling prophecy or placebo effect and are completely ignorant to it. They are also being tricked, often people who perform faith healing know that it is a scam.

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It is also likely that people who are treated for faith healing on a small issue, and get better, would get better with no treatment at all. Most of the believers come from religious backgrounds, especially those of Christianity. This could be because of the new testament where there are examples of people being healed by Jesus through the power of touch, or faith healing. Often, he healed someone that would not of been possible back in his time, or even at all. This is interesting because once again there is no real evidence of it.

If you are someone who takes the bible very literally, then it is possible that you will have a strong belief towards faith healing. Faith healing might seem like it might not be a serious issue, because it can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy or placebo effect which is shown to have positive scientific results, and, science is good. The problem comes into effect when people have unrealistic expectations and things that need cured which are not possible.

Faith healing can cause tremendous amounts of harm, for example: In Oregon, there was a case where someone died due a congenital condition that was easily treatable, but his church suggested faith healing. In California, a case was reported where a man had a rash and heard about faith healing on the radio, instead of going to a doctor he went to a faith healer and later died, the apparent healer was charged with manslaughter.

There are many cases of this happening, but these two alone are enough evidence that faith healing should not have supporters. At the end of the day, it is a belief in magic that has only a minimal correlation to science due to the placebo effect, and causes more harm than good.

While this was literally a huge step for mankind, many people then and some today believe that the landing never happened and was instead staged. That number today has lowered to 6 percent, but the theory still remains well known throughout the internet and our society. This belief is extraordinary because it uses the appearance of science to persuade people into believing in it.

It is also important that the public recognizes that this belief is not true as it discredits the extreme risk that the astronauts took to go to the moon and their success in doing so. Those who are believers in the idea that the moon landing was a hoax state many reasons as to why it could never have actually happened, and most of them deal with their ideas of how physics works. The most widely known piece of evidence is the fact that the flag placed on the moon by the astronauts seemed to have been waving in the footage taken by the astronauts.

If this was the case, as many skeptics of the moon landing believe, then there is no way they were actually on the moon because that would mean there was enough wind to make the flag wave. Since there is no air let alone wind on the moon, then it would have been impossible for this to occur. A second, lesser known argument for a conspiracy is the idea of the Van Allen Belts. For the astronauts of Apollo 11 to have passed through these belts would have caused more than a normal amount of radiation exposure, which could lead to radiation sickness. Because the astronauts did not show any symptoms of this, many believe that they did not actually pass through these belts and did not go to the moon.

So, although it seems like the hoax believers are presenting scientifically back facts about the Van Allen belts, they are in fact incorrect about the amount of radiation one is exposed to when passing through the belts. A third attempt to prove that the astronauts did not go to the moon is the fact that there was not a single star in any of the pictures taken when the astronauts landed. This is used as evidence to prove that those pictures were not taken on the moon because, if you are in space, then how could there not be any stars around?

With this piece of evidence, there are two sets of conspiracies that emerge about the moon landing: But according to astrophysicist Brian Koberlein, this is actually a common phenomenon in photographs. Because the moon is quite bright in comparison to the sky around it, the light of the stars gets drowned out and overpowered by the light of the moon when standing on it.

This is why no stars can be seen in any pictures taken on the moon and therefore debunks the conspiracy that the pictures were not taken on the moon. Those who believe that the moon landing was a hoax, mostly misunderstand how perception works. They also fall victim to the outward appearance of science in the explanations given to support the hoax theories. Several of those who believe it was a hoax also disregard any evidence contradictory to their own ideas and tend to think that the only evidence that is correct is evidence that supports their theory.

This belief, although it was largely popular in the decade following the Apollo 11 moon landing, is still widely known today. Because it is so largely spread throughout the media, many people take it as fact since they see the media as a credible source. Those who believe in the hoax today are largely American youth, as they were not around when the moon landing occurred and so they find it easier to believe something that they hear or read claiming the landing was faked.

Other hoax believers tend to be those who supported the idea of the faking of the moon landing around the time when it was most popular in the decade following the landing. Whether persuaded by what looks like scientific explanations for the phenomena or the misunderstanding of how perception works, hoax believers stand strong in their belief and neglect to listen to any opposing evidence presented to them. Recently, the media has been causing the public to become more exposed to the idea that the landing was faked although there are few that actually take this belief seriously. As a society, it was very important at the time of the space race that we make it to the moon first.

Because Apollo 11 made it there first, Americans see this as quite an accomplishment and it is something we are very proud of. Hoax believers fail to recognize this very important achievement, which is detrimental to our society because they are failing to give the astronauts the recognition they deserve. If the number of hoax believers rises, it will be very sad and discouraging to all of those who support the three astronauts and those who helped them make it there. Ancestor simulations is a belief proposed by Nick Bostrom, a professor at Oxford University, he believes that, in the future, it will be possible to simulate the actions of all the neurons in the brain and simulate the sensory input to that brain with enough accuracy to convince the simulation that it is a real person.

For it to happen at such a scale as our universe, would seem impossible, but Bostrom made some calculations that show that a super advanced civilization could do this, on such a scale that these virtual minds tremendously outnumber real minds. There are many articles, videos and interviews on the topic and even people like Neil deGrasse Tyson have backed up this belief. An advanced civilization might want to run such simulations for science, so it can understand its own history, to study the behavior of the types of minds that lived in the past.

How would this all be possible? According to experts on the matter, this civilization would need a computer the size of a large planet. Another argument for this belief is the idea of the Boltzmann brain, which argues that in an infinite multiverse, it should be tremendously more common for particles to randomly assemble into a brain that is having the exact same experience as you are having right now, than for particles to create big bangs. So if the virtual minds of an ancestor simulation are vastly more common than the original living minds that created the simulation, and if the simulated experience is completely consistent with our own experience, then it is more likely that we are those typical observers, statistically speaking.

This is due to the fact that a civilization is just as likely to die out before they have a chance to create such advancements, or an advanced civilization would just as likely choose to not make these types of simulations. Also, there are no experiments that can be done to disprove this belief, making it unfalsifiable, which is a huge red flag.

This belief is really only popular for a few scientists and people who interested in such extraordinary beliefs, due to the fact that this belief goes against the vast majority of religions and there is no evidence of this belief. It is also not popular due to the fact, most, if not all people, want a meaning in life, and being a simulation would make that seem unimportant. A lot of advancements in science would have to occur in order for ancestor simulations to be created, but according to scientists, we will be able to create such simulations on a way smaller scale in one or two generations.

The fact that we all could just be a simulation in a planet sized computer might cause a lot of existential angst, but the idea that we could also be the people that come up with such advancements should be more uplifting. There are a lot of unknowns in this world and there are many answers in life that we will never obtain.

I think, regardless of how our existence came to be, we should all live life like it is of the utmost importance, like everything you do as an individual is just as meaningful as anyone else who has lived on this planet. Acupuncture is an alternative form of medicine that has been around for ages. It originated in China around the time of the Common Era, however, back then sharp stones and bones were used, rather than needles. This traditional Chinese medicine has been used to most commonly treat pain, but has also been used to treat overall wellness, stress management, and discomfort from various diseases.

Acupuncture has been a popular and widely used alternative medicine since it started to be a common practice in China. A NHIS data survey found that about 6. A plethora of information about acupuncture can be found on the web. A simple google search results in thousands of, credible and non-credible, sources explaining what acupuncture is, how it works, research on it, and where to find a practitioner. Because acupuncture is still relatively popular, it is important to analyze the pseudoscientific aspects of this belief. Acupuncture is a controversial topic among medical professionals and has contradictory empirically-based research support, which makes this belief extraordinary.

There have been mostly contradictory findings in regards to the effectiveness of acupuncture. Some research has supported the effectiveness of acupuncture though. However, the results could not explain if the needles were the true causal factor in pain inhibition. In addition, systematic reviews and meta-analyses over the past decade have given more reliable evidence for acupuncture helping dental pain, nausea, back pain, and headache. However, evidence for aiding in chronic pain has still been scarce. Although there is a variety of suggested mechanisms for acupuncture and how it works, there has been little valid data that explains how the mechanisms relate to clinical ideas and practices 1.

Until recently, it has been difficult to study the mechanisms and true effectiveness of acupuncture because of the inability to employ a sufficient control group and carry out a true double-blind experiment. For obvious reasons, it is difficult for participants to be blind to whether or not needles are being inserted into their skin.

However, when sham needles were recently invented, these needles allowed for a patient to feel the sensation of needles when the needles are actually not present. One study looked at the differences in nausea improvement between a control sham group and an experimental acupuncture group. There were no differences between these two groups found, which suggests the positive effects of acupuncture may be due to the placebo effect 4. There are numerous cognitive factors that play a role in the belief and use of acupuncture. Despite the lack of solid research evidence to support acupuncture, it still remains popular and people still pay a substantial amount of money to receive this treatment.

People who receive acupuncture might not necessarily be misinformed, rather they have an immense trust in their practitioners and those who recommend the treatment to them. People tend to trust practitioners, and they rarely ask about or explore the research support surrounding a treatment. In addition, the placebo effect might play a role in the positive results seen from acupuncture. The research study mentioned previously in which the sham needle and the experimental acupuncture group experienced the same results for nausea treatment suggest the placebo effect is at play. In addition to the placebo effect, individuals might also be experiencing cognitive dissonance.

People who use acupuncture put a lot of time, money, and other resources into the treatment, so they truly want it to work. If it does not work, they might experience cognitive dissonance and not be able to reason why they spent all their time and resources for no positive results. As a result, they might see positive results that are not there or fail to accurately assess the effectiveness of treatment. Furthermore, those who experience the desired effects of acupuncture might be experiencing confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is when one seeks only the confirming evidence and ignores the disconfirming evidence.

This could be prevalent in acupuncture when one justifies acupuncture effectiveness because their pain subsides in one area of their body, but not completely. These cognitive factors might lead people to believe acupuncture is effective and worth seeking out.

Additionally, there are also contextual and social factors that contribute to this extraordinary belief. Those who use acupuncture come from a wide variety of communities and cultures. Acupuncture is used in both Western and Eastern parts of the world. However, some cultures might be more likely to use acupuncture because it aligns with their values, ideas, and traditions. This suggests there might be a cultural preference for it, and it might be used by more people of Eastern decent.

Extraordinary Beliefs

Acupuncture might also be used by those who have rejected Western Medicine and decided to try a more alternative path. People who use acupuncture might have tried everything else for their pain or their problem and decided to look in a more natural area of medicine. There are many social influences that also help sustain this practice.

One influence might be due to the sheer popularity of acupuncture. It is one of the most popular alternative medicines, and this alone might convince the public it is effective. The consensus heuristic might play a role here. This is when a person assumes that if the majority of people believe something works, it must work.

However, this is often wrong and many people in our society can be swayed to believe an extraordinary belief all at once. Similarly, those who use acupuncture might be influenced by the anecdotes and stories from those around them. For example, one might hear that acupuncture worked miracles for their cousin, which convinces them acupuncture should work for them too. Lastly, people who use acupuncture might be falling victim to the natural commonplace misconception, which assumes that natural is always healthy and effective.

This is not always true and can lead many people to not seek appropriate medical help. Although acupuncture is an alternative medicine that is not fully supported by research, it is used frequently to treat many ailments, such as pain, reaching overall wellness, stress management, and discomfort. Acupuncture has been around for centuries and continues to be used today in both Easter and Western cultures.

Research surrounding this topic has been mixed, and there has not been solid evidence for the overall use of acupuncture.

EXTRAORDINARY BELIEFS

Acupuncture is likely due to the placebo effect, which was shown with one study involving sham needles. In this study, there was no difference in nausea improvement in the group who thought they were receiving acupuncture but really were not and the group that was actually receiving it. In addition to the placebo effect, there is likely the confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance at play.

There may also be a cultural aspect at play, with many Chinese and Eastern cultures using acupuncture often. Furthermore, those who use acupuncture might be basing their opinion off anecdotal evidence or success they heard about through someone they know. Since acupuncture is popular, the consensus heuristic might have a role in people seeking it out. Lastly, because acupuncture is a natural and alternative form of medicine, people might seek this out and follow the natural commonplace misconception. There are many social, contextual, cultural, and cognitive factors that contribute to the popularity in use of acupuncture.

However, it is important to consider the empirical research evidence so an extraordinary belief is not put into common medical practice.

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Sleep paralysis is very real, and is often very scary. Sleep paralysis is when while either falling asleep or during sleep, a person wakes up to the point that they are aware, but cannot move their bodies or speak. Many of the victims of sleep paralysis have no idea what it is or that they experience it.

They often explain their symptoms as something supernatural or extraordinary, whether it be aliens, spirits, or ghosts. It becomes more prevalent when the victim suffers from other psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression, or when they have another sleep-related disorder such a narcolepsy. The most obvious symptom of Sleep Paralysis is inability to move while awake. People often imagine hearing sounds that range from voices, to static, to humming, to ancient languages, to roars and whispers. People often experience sensations of being moved, sat on, held down, or floating, and the paralysis usually results in a feeling of fear and panic.

People have reported seeing shadows moving around them, voices telling them to do things, and some even believe they were abducted by and had their memory wiped by whatever was haunting them.

Sleep Paralysis is believed to occur when at the end of our REM sleep cycle, we become conscious before the cycle ends. We are awake mentally, but we still have no control of our bodily movements. Our body is essentially still asleep. As we know from class, people will often create mental bridges to help them explain the things they experience in their lives.

Often, the most realistic belief we can come up with is that there is something supernatural involved, that is preventing us from doing anything. The person suffering from the paralysis may use cues from their environment to explain the paralysis, and may go their entire lives without realizing they had experienced sleep paralysis.

As someone who personally suffers from sleep paralysis, I can tell you that the panic and fear of not being able to move is extremely terrifying. I once had an episode while on vacation in Mexico, and I explained to myself that a Mexican spirit was angry at me for being on his lands and supporting the resort there.

I truly feared he was going to kill me.

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Now as the years pass and I became aware of what I suffered from, my mind has strayed away from such explanations. But I remember clear as day how logical they seemed at the time, and a spirit is not a far-stretch from an alien or a ghost. It is my belief that sleep paralysis is a strong explanation for many people who believe they have been abducted or encountered the supernatural. A strong initial belief that a ghost wants you dead will inevitably lead to research on ghosts, and leads down the rabbit-hole to real belief in spirits.

If you believe you were abducted by aliens, get on google and find hundreds of other experiences similar to yours, it may drive you to believe in them more, or at least establish a narrative that allows a person to believe that is what must have happened to themselves. Further social contexts and narratives of spirit encounters or alien abductions also drive belief in an explanation other than sleep paralysis for sleep paralysis.

While sleep paralysis is rather unknown, and honestly is rather lacking in its study, we see ghost movies and alien stories all the time. Our culture is obsessed with the supernatural, and sleep paralysis is more likely to be identified as an experience of that supernatural rather than what it actually is. I believe someone who suffers from sleep paralysis; especially when they only experience a few occurrences, are much more likely to hear about ghosts or aliens than they are likely to read a story about Sleep Paralysis.

In summary, although these posts are usually about something that is unreal, supernatural, or otherwise impossible, Sleep Paralysis is very real and it is terrifying or even traumatizing to experience. It is listed in the DSM 5 under parasomnias, and is not a joking matter. It is not uncommon for people who suffer from sleep paralysis to explain their experience in some supernatural forum. We must try to understand that these people have experienced a trauma, and their minds are desperate to explain it.

It is way more likely that a person who experienced sleep paralysis only a couple times may come to believe in the supernatural, rather than to find out what sleep paralysis is. This does not make them any less intelligent than us, they simply do not have the same information that we do. Almost 41 years ago, a man named Elvis Presley died at the age of After the King of Rock and Roll passed, many theories have surfaced claiming that Presley faked his own death and is somehow still alive today. If he were still alive, he would be 83 years old so technically, it could be possible.

Those who believe in the theory, called Alivers, are mostly fans of Elvis. Despite large popularity around the time of his death, Presley was believed by fans that he wanted a way to retire in peace, which is why he faked his own death and went incognito all these years. Nonetheless, they believe Presley is still alive today but is in the witness protection program. The information about this theory today can mostly be found on the internet. There are many blog posts, archives, and forums that are home to a large community of fans who believe he is still alive. Newspaper and magazine headlines were flooded with claims that Presley is still alive.

As the years go on and the older the proposed alive Elvis gets, the less salient the theories have become.

Newer generations are also less familiar with the rock and roll icon or are completely unaware of who Elvis even is, so the theories are less prominent or relevant. This is an extraordinary belief because if true, it would change entirely what we know about Elvis, his life, his legacy, and what we know about the abilities of people to go into hiding for so many years because it is seemingly impossible to truly be hidden for so long. When Elvis died, an autopsy was performed that same day and within a few days following, he was pronounced dead due to a heart attack.

A conflicting toxicology report later showed that Presley had ten different pharmaceutical drugs in his system, including extremely high levels of codeine, which lead people to believe that a drug overdose was the cause of death. Nichopoulos, that looked into why he prescribed Presley so many different pharmaceuticals, especially prescription painkillers that Presley was addicted to.

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