Friday, June 4, 2010

The Power of a Book’s Cover

Has someone ever spoken, and you felt dumber for having heard it?

An experiment has found that devout Pentecostal Christians who are told they are hearing a prayer from a faith healer have decreased activity in parts of the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, areas associated with skepticism and vigilance.

Two things to note: the person has to believe in faith healing prior to the experiment, and the response is less if the test subject is told the prayer reader is an ordinary Christian. But if you introduce that same ordinary Christian to another subject as a faith healer, their brain is putty.

This study was particularly interesting to me because it wasn’t about what was said, but rather the perception of who was saying it. A very common assertion I have heard among Christians is that it isn’t about the preacher, church, religion or whatever: it’s all about Jesus. The problem is, charismatic leaders still seem to be more popular, and evidence like this indicates that how one feels about the messenger is more important than the message.

I cannot say I am surprised by this. Anyone who has spent any length of time talking with believers about their faith knows one of the most commonly cited reasons for joining a church is because of someone else: often a parent, older relative, mentor, friend, or really anyone that individual respects. Religion often borrows the credibility of those who follow it (when it suits that faith’s purposes; religious people who do bad things are disavowed).

One final thing to keep in mind: the charisma of the speaker originates in the listener. Those who go in skeptical come out skeptical, and those who go in believing come out pliable. The speaker has no innate power that is not willingly given by the audience. You are only as foolish as you allow yourself to be.

8 comments:

  1. and this IDIOT doesn't see...

    HIJACKING IN PROGRESS!!!


    how can these HEADLESS IDIOTS BET AGAINST GOD!!!
    ________________________________________


    what happens when you LOSE Pascal's Wager...


    http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/pascals-wager.htm

    _____________


    you FIGHT PAPER MONSTERS...

    the blood and bodies of the atheist movement...


    you mofos killed MICKEY MOUSE!!!!


    this has more TRUTH then what Dawkins, Randi, Harris, Myers, and Shermer combined have said in their entire lives...


    http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=5R2wE8Sduhs&playnext_from=TL&videos=hht1U_19anc&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh%2Bdiv-1r-3-HM



    they tried to BULLDOZE the entire METAPHYSICAL DIMENSION...

    they LOST THE WAR......

    you have FORFEIT YOUR SOUL, shermer... you have become an object in the material world, as you WISHED...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUB4j0n2UDU

    http://farm1.static.flickr.com/7/11792994_ffaaee87fa.jpg

    we're gonna smash that TV...

    They had become ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE AND OF GOD...
    you pushed too much and *CROSSED THE LINE*

    degenerates (PZ) or children (HEMANT) - ATHEISTS!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRRg2tWGDSY

    do you have anything to say, you STUPID LITTLE F*CKER?

    how about I tell you, Mr. Shermer, EVERYTHING YOU THINK ABOUT THE WORLD is

    *WRONG*

    THE BOOBQUAKE - 911!

    http://dissidentphilosophy.lifediscussion.net/philosophy-f1/the-boobquake-911-t1310.htm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx7XNb3Q9Ek

    RUN, ATHEISTS, RUN!!!

    -------------------

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nostradumbass6/05/2010 12:23 PM

    The DM song:

    I'm a *MINDLESS IDIOT* and BOOBIES made me do it!

    I am so confused.

    This is my final warning. Somebody be my friend, or this will go on forever.

    I am so confused.

    KABOOBIES! GOD I LOVE THEM! BIG ONES, SMALL ONES. I JUST LOVE TO WATCH THEM. I THINK OF BOOBIES ALL DAY.


    I am so confused.

    I have not been myself lately. Jesus has stopped listening to me.


    I am so confused.

    He told me in a revelation. "Stop bugging me with your petty complaints about atheists! Why don't your just make friends with them. Now be gone." Jesus was angry. Then I said "Oh Lord, Oh Lord! Why have you forsaken me?" Then nothingness. He was gone.


    I am so confused.

    I love you guys! I really do. I have no friends. Can you please just talk to me? Its just me up here in Montreal in a small room with this computer. Oh and some moist towelettes.

    Pleeeeeze!


    I am so confused.

    they thought BOOBIES had no effect... WRONG! BOOBIES CAUSE MASSIVE ERECTIONS AND ERUPTIONS WORLD WIDE!

    I am so confused.

    This is my final warning. Somebody be my friend, or this will go on forever. AND I MEAN IT!

    NOT JUST ANY FRIEND EITHER. I WANT A HOT CHICK, THAT IS WILLING TO SEND ME NAKED PICS OF HER DOING STUFF, LIKE ALL THOSE GIRLS IN MY VIDEOS.


    I am so confused.

    I love you guys! I really do. I have no friends. Can you please just talk to me? Its just me up here in Montreal in a small room with this computer. Oh and a small tub of Vasoline and a box of Handi Wipes.

    I am so confused.

    I HAVE MASSIVE ERECTIONS FOR BOOBIES AND CALVIN KLIEN AD MEN. DOES THAT MAKE ME GAY? I HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE.

    I am so confused.

    SOMETIMES I CAN'T CONTROL MY URGES AND I SPILL SOME SEED. MY GOD HATES ME FOR THIS. I TRY TO HIDE FROM HIM, BUT HE IS ALWAYS WATCHING ME. I THINK JESUS LONGS FOR ME TO BE IN HEAVEN TO SWORD FIGHT WITH HIM.

    I am so confused.

    This is my final warning. Somebody be my boy toy friend, or this will go on forever.


    I am so confused.

    ReplyDelete
  3. atheist HEADS will ROLL...

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://hawaiiwebgroup.com/maui-design/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/website-hijacking.jpg


    HIJACKING IN PROGRESS!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. you mofos killed MICKEY MOUSE!!!!

    lol

    ReplyDelete
  6. atheist HEADS will ROLL...

    We're waiting, Dennis the Eighth.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That felt GOOD!!!!! I came!!!

    I'll be BACK, atheist f*ckers!!! But first I have to run down to the corner store and buy another box of Kleenex!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, as for me, I think the original post was very fascinating. This study says a lot to me, because I was pentecostal.

    Very often in the pentecostal church, there is talk of how walking by faith is noble because it defies logic. Only the miraculous can come by faith and logic only allow the mundane and ordinary to happen in one's life.

    So it really makes sense to hear that area of the brain that controls logic and skepticism goes numb when faith kicks into high gear.

    Credulity is the stuff of faith-- and confidence schemes, too.

    ReplyDelete

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