Steven Novella, Your Deceptive Mind


 

 

 

Our brain often takes the path of least resistance.

 

Natural causes natural exclamation.

 

Thinking is a process.

 

He states that Maslow‘s hierarchy of needs is a reasonable classification of emotional needs for humans. It may not act as a strict hierarchy but it is a good set of needs.

 

He notes that importantly we need to feel a sense of control over our environment and lives. So, when we feel less control we seek out a pattern recognition instances where we try to learn from the environment and find ways to give control where we may not have control. We do not handle random this very well. Things like superstitions and religion and lucky coin is our attempts to exert control in situations where we may not have much control

 

 We also like simplicity simplicity is easier to grasp and supports that feeling of control. We have trouble handling new wants and complexity.

 

A good rule of some: “the universe is more complicated than we think or than we would like to think. “

 

We also seek meeting. We want to believe that things happen for a reason. Many times things just happen but we cannot except this.

 

When prophecy sale believers find a way to still believe. So in cases where the rapture was predicted, believers do not leave their preacher in instances where this is not the case.

 

Brains are not passive recorders of events going on around them. Rains actively construct their understanding of the world. She notes, “believing is seeing.“

 

When it comes to visual information, our brains in for a three-dimensional world from shoe dimensional inputs. The rep not in RI is a two dimensional surface.

 

Note from course. True authority lies with the consensus around the topic. The consensus of experts is where authority should exist not with an individual.