We are pattern seeking, conspiracy driven, mammals that have a hard time thinking the universe doesn't revolve around us. Just span back through the years of scientific thinking to see this. We think the universe has us at the center. Not just our species but each of us as individuals. Our subjective experience forces us to view the world through this collective anthropic lens. These characteristics combine to make us very illogical, even in 2014 with all this modern technology, light speed travel and communication, in a booming information age. Don't get me wrong. We are on average smarter than we were a few hundred years ago. Though you wouldn't think so if you visited a local mall or Walmart in this country. Idiocracy is very rampant. Just turn on a TV. (Ouch! my balls.)
It's not just religious superstition that dominates the minds of this country. Many of us are pulled in by the lure of all sorts of unsubstantiated claims. Some things like Alchemy have gone into the waste bin of history, but something equally as unscientific such as astrology is still widely accepted among the population. Many laugh it off when confronted by a skeptic, and comment that they know it's silly but the patterns are there, you can't deny it. Leos and Capricorns just act that way or fill in the blank. Cognitive dissonance is strong with things like these. These people know better but almost enjoy the hobby of the belief itself. It's odd, but many people do this. These things we skeptics call "Woo". It is a term used to describe anything that has no actual evidence to back it up.
Just browse the New Age section at a local bookstore and you'll see the levels of Woo. There are many books on conspiracy theories. Many conspiracy theories (the really good ones that are still around today) have some kernels of truth to them, some points that are factually sound, however these facts are forcibly connected together by the conspiracy theorist to present a faulty theory. Random facts (that may be disturbing or alarming) shouldn't always necessarily be connected to fit a narrative. But that's what appeals to our mammalian brains. We have evolved and done so well by connecting patterns and making theories and stories about the world we live in. We probably needed these traits to survive throughout our evolutionary past. We simply outsmarted our prey.
I was browsing through the Christian and New Age sections the other day at Barnes & Noble and I wondered what a chart would look like for ranking one's "Woo". If the highest marks signified the most extreme cases of Woo how many "Woo" marks would I get? I think a ranking chart could look something like this...
(Ranking from Highest Levels of Woo to Lowest Levels of Woo)
1. Religion.
Of course this is a huge category that we could divide into subcategories of the most ridiculous of religions with clearly some blatant problems like Scientology and Mormonism. Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism would be next of course (these awarded some less Woo points due to the fact they have the social stigma involved - simply, they are the most popular in our world today and culturally ingrained in so many people from birth) Buddhism would be last more than likely. Buddhism is an atheistic religion. There is no god in the religion, however there is much unsubstantiated superstitious nonsense with ideas like Karma that have no evidential backing behind it. This of course goes for prayer (in whatever religion you are in, to whatever god you are praying to). Prayer is the ultimate anthropic signpost. God cares about you, don't ya know? There is zero evidence prayer works in any way. There have been controlled experiments and prayer has not met the burden of proof in any way shape or form.
2. New Age
This is a broad category like religion. This umbrella would contain under it conspiracy theories (9/11 was an inside job, the Illuminati are controlling everything, big foot, Sasquatch, Loch Ness Monster, ghosts, JFK assassination, ancient aliens, alien abductions, etc) homeopathy, astrology, remote viewing, crop circles, astral projection, alternative medicine, chakras, crystal power, and so on. These things could of course also be ranked within this category. Obviously if you believe in the David Icke theory that our powerful world politicians are actually shape-shifting Reptilian Aliens then you are probably at the top of the list. Even my friends who are conspiracy theory buffs don't go that far down the rabbit hole usually. Of course there are actual Unidentified Flying Objects (identified as such correctly by an bystander since they don't know what they are), but there is no reason to believe these crafts are alien crafts from outer space. Let's try military industrial complex first. Of course there are such things as crop circles, but they are made by crop circle artists who are all (as far as we know) human. Homeopathy and crystal healing have no sound scientific evidence on either side. The same goes with remote viewing, and astral projection is actually sleep paralysis.
3. Purpose Driven Lives and Everything Happens for a Reason
This is where I rank the least amount of Woo. Most people think anthropomorphically all the time. I know I do. Most people do as we live our daily lives. We sort of have to don't we? But thinking that the universe has a plan or a purpose of everything happening for a reason basically means you think that our species is the pinnacle of the universe. This of course ties into the heart of all religions, but even the nonreligious can think that there is some deeper meaning to events in nature and we are at the center of this meaning. We've all heard -- "Oh I had this dream one night and then the next day I saw the same thing in my dream!" The matrix is glitching! Coincidence? No Way! This is the Cosmos telling me something. What does it mean?! There is no meaning to these dreams. We dream every single night and we forget about how many times we dream nonsense. Of course in a large number set of "dreams each night" you are bound to eventually have a dream about something that coincides from your day the next day. It's not the universe telling you something - it's just mathematical probabilities. The same thing goes with rare events happening. Things that seem like the Universe is "telling you something", showing you a sign are just something that happens. It's simply a matter of probability taking from the mathematical principle called the Law of Large Numbers. Basically it states that given a large enough universe with large enough options through large amounts of time and you are not only bound to get rare events happening but it is a mathematical certainty that you will. Thinking even remotely mathematical about the world is truly eye opening.
You all may be depressed now but don't just sign up for nihilism just yet! Despite what you may have heard http://www.theolatte.com/ the choices are not only "Jesus or Nothing". We have options. We can be happy basking in the most Truth we know about the universe and reality in any given time period in human history. That's intensely mind-blowing! You don't have to wallow in this idea that we are so insignificant (which we are) compared to the Cosmos. You don't have to dwell on the fact that there is no cosmic purpose that involves you. Just think of us as the universe knowing itself. You can think of us as a highly intelligent species understanding the universe more than any other species we know. That's fucking awesome! How is that in any way depressing? There couldn't be a better time to be alive! Educate yourself and read away that Woo!
I know I usually post links to check out after one of my blog entries. Here's a "red pen" criticism from my friend about this blog... Enjoy:
