Blog post 1: lecture 2 (Jersey Devil)

 I was born and raised in new jersey and have never heard of the jersey devil. But what I found interesting and slightly infuriating is that folklore or myths I have heard are heavily based upon women. It could be a witch or, in the case of our lectures, mother leeds giving birth to a devil, or even the kwakiutls that were represented as women who abducted children. Women seem to play the role of chaos in many folklores. As for case number 2 on Bigfoot, this myth is particularly interesting. The only way I had heard about this story was from the viral video filmed by roger patterson. But what sparked my interest was that this myth and even the Jersey devil still live on today. We as a society have access to so many resources now; could we find definitive proof? As stated many times throughout our first two lectures: pseudoscience relies on fast thinking and heuristics, while science relies on slow thinking and critical thinking. Do I believe that are things or phenomena out there that exist? Absolutely, for example, there are organisms in the deep sea that humans cannot discover due to limited resources, but some stories are beyond farfetched and inhumanly impossible. They are called legends for a reason and most likely are created to pick up traction. 

End of the World

Predictions and talk about the end of the world resurfaces every few years. Learning about the many predictions made by different sources was interesting to hear because I did not realize that so many people had their own predictions based on their own beliefs. For example, we learned about Harold Camping, a radio host, who thought the world would end May 21, 2011 and then changed it to October of 2011. Supporter of Camping, Chris McCann believed in his words and felt the world would end on October 7, 2015. Another example is Jeane Dixon who believed the world would end between 2020 and 2037. 

I found the following article covering an interview with Chris McCann. He admitted he was wrong in his prediction but still believes the end of the world is coming. He is unsure of when and says it is like a doctor predicting when a terminally ill person would pass. 

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/christian-leader-world-date-wrong-article-1.2391624

In this lecture we also learned about Michel Nostradamus. He was a French Astronomer who predicted things like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. But, he was specifically ambiguous and extremely vague. This vagueness was used in his 10 volume collection of prophecies. Because it was so vague it was able to be applied to different events. I find it fascinating how people will subconsciously work to find the information that confirms their thoughts and what they want to believe. 

I found the following article which covers his predictions for 2023. 

https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/2022/12/26/63a920d2268e3ec2608b4632.html

(Abigail Bell- Post #1) 

The Three Kinds of Thinkers

 In the lecture slides, we talked about how there are three distinct types of thinkers: the naive thinker, the selfish critical thinker, and the fair-minded critical thinker. I think knowing and understanding what kind of thinker you are can be beneficial to not only you but society as well. It can provide insights into how we approach challenges and interact with others. 

• A naive thinker is someone who lacks critical evaluation skills and tends to accept information or ideas without any question. They usually rely on intuition and emotions instead of examining information or considering alternative viewpoints. 

• The selfish critical thinker prioritizes personal gain and self-interest over fair evaluation. They often use logical reasoning and persuasive arguments to justify their actions or beliefs, not thinking about the impact on others.

•  A fair-minded critical thinker is an individual who has a genuine commitment to impartial evaluation, open-mindedness, and intellectual integrity. This type of thinker actively seeks out diverse perspectives, engages in a thorough analysis of information, and weighs evidence objectively before forming conclusions.

 Overall, by recognizing our thinking patterns and actively striving to become fair-minded critical thinkers, we can contribute to a more intellectually honest society.

The New Jersey Devil - Lecture 3

 I believe the legends surrounding the Jersey Devil to be true. Because of the accounts and sightings that were made in the 1900s, I believe they are real. Schools were closed at that time, and there was little to no activity because no one dared venture outside, according to weirdnj.com. It kind of reminded me of the coronavirus, where everyone stayed inside because there was no proof of the virus's fatality. From a scientific perspective, we'll never truly be able to determine if the Jersey Devil is a legendary entity or not because up until this point, all we have are the stories that are being told and scant to no proof that it actually exists. 

Subliminal Messaging

Subliminal messaging is something that hasn't gone away but has become modernized into something different. In the 80s, it was tapes. In the 90s, it was CDs. In the 2000s/2010s, it was YouTube videos. Now, I believe that it has been involved in appearing in the world of TikTok. TikTok has become a popular platform in this modern age. I, myself, am a frequent user of it. I use it as a form of entertainment in my daily life. While learning about subliminal messaging, it reminded me of a common type of video that I see frequently on my recommendation page. This would, otherwise, be known as an FYP (For You Page). The type of video I'm talking about is the type that says "Don't skip this audio", "Claim this 3X", and "Use this sound". Here is a link to an example TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chanelyates_/video/7043148259396750597

These types of TikTok videos will, oftentimes, involve a person saying that if the viewer doesn't skip the audio or claims it three times, they will be granted fortune, or their crush will confess their love to them.  It will sometimes be a broad statement and say their life will improve within just a few days if they don't skip the audio. 

Here is an article that talks more about it as well. https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3pg8w/the-blind-faith-of-subliminal-tiktok-videos

It is easy to fall for these types of videos, especially when people comment about how it works or people will post their own videos and explain that it has worked for them. I have fallen for these videos once or twice, but that was about a year ago. Subliminal messaging seems to target those who desire something in their life but is hard to obtain because it would involve the person's patience. Oftentimes, it would just require pure luck. I think subliminal messaging has become the term manifestation. It is the concept that an idea will become a reality. I use the term a lot, especially when I desire something.

I think it is interesting how subliminal messaging takes on new forms as time goes on and as technology develops. It's also interesting how no study can prove they work, but no one seems to pay attention or care that there is no evidence. 

Graphology

      Observing handwriting dates back to the 17th century. In the lecture slides, it talked a lot about determining different types of handwriting, what each mean, and what your personality might be. Some can be correct such as the ones for small, big, connected, and bold font/handwriting, but trying to determine other types can seem like a stretch. 

     Small handwriting meant that you pay close attention to detail & are concentrated, average handwriting means well adjusted & adaptable, and connected means you're logical. Other handwriting styles like narrow or wide spacing meant that you're lonely or dependent on others, made no sense to me because that's more of an emotion rather than what can be presented to others. 

     This may seem like a stretch or doesn't make any sense to other people, but I like to find hidden messages or meanings in things. I feel like that makes things more interesting, when there's more than one perspective on things. From a scientific standpoint, we will never know whether different types of handwriting can actually determine your personality. 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pHrzIFVMJPyK8_JT7NU_GCvN5F1Q5mVLvIcOw1AW_KE/present?slide=id.g1232b856d4_0_63

The End of the World

     People have made predictions about the world ending since the year 2000 because the computer had run out of digits, it was the end of the calendar year, or other times it was because "the last prediction was wrong, so it has to be this one". Every time someone announced that the world was ending, the whole world went into a state of frenzy. 

     Whenever something occurs that people are unfamiliar with, it seems like it gets labeled as something that might not be true. Like an alien/ufo sightings, paranormal activity, and with this it would be telling people that the world is ending, when it's just the end of the calendar year. People broadcasting that the world is ending, I feel like it gets to the point where it's like "the boy who cried wolf". I feel like people are at the point where they don't even believe it anymore, because it has been said so many times and nothing has happened.

The power of hypnosis and its effects on the brain

Hypnosis is a legitimate psychological technique that can impact the brain and its cognitive processes. Hypnosis is a state of focused attention and increased suggestibility, typically done by a trained professional. Hypnosis is known to tap into the brain's natural capacity for heightened concentration and receptivity to suggestions. It is often used as a therapeutic tool to address multiple conditions, like anxiety, pain management, and habit modification. Research has shown that hypnosis can bring about observable changes in brain activity and functioning. Even neuroimaging studies, like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), have shown insight into the neural mechanisms during hypnotic states. Three interesting effects it has on the brain are being in a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, influencing sensory perception, enhancing cognitive control processes, such as attention, memory, and inhibitory control, and influencing emotional responses. 

Psychic Detectives

So, my first question while listening to this topic is: Are psychics just complete con artists or do they believe in what they are doing? Are these people really just guessing at where someone's loved one is if they go missing? Do they think they see visions in their head of valid information or are they just making things up as they go along?

To see Dr. Carr attempt his "remote viewing" that ended with him drawing on 100 pieces of paper, for an hour and a half, various pictures and words of random thoughts, is so ridiculous. And he is a doctor! Does he truly believe that he can enter someone else's body and see what they see? And if so, wouldn't that be maybe 2 or 3 drawings? It boggles my mind that these people are given credit for guessing. 

My assumption is that when you have no other answers, even made-up ones are something substantial. It implies there is hope. Humans need hope, especially in stressful times, and that is what these people provide. We also need closure. The unknowing is the hardest part and even if it's not accurate, it's something to hang on to. I am just not sure if the motivation behind these "psychic detectives" is to gain recognition, money, and power or to help people. Peter Popoff was a clear example of lying for personal gain when he was faking his abilities and preying on vulnerable people. All of this is interesting to learn about, at the very least.

10% of Our Brains

 Learning about how we use only 10% of our brain was extremely interesting especially since I took the course, Addictions, back in June and we learned about the different parts of the brain for a brief period of time. It makes me question why humans only use 10% of their brains and if it is part of an evolutionary trait that was developed through time. There could also be no explanation to it and it is simply that we only use 10% of our brains. It is fascinating. The videos that were shown in the lecture slides remind me of the different movies and shows that depict the characters having a psychic ability through psychokinesis or other physic abilities. Although it does not explicitly mention the character using more than 10% of their brain, it falls under the belief that if humans had the ability to use more than 10% of their brain, they would have psychic abilities. The movies and tv show that I thought of were Matilda, Carrie, and an episode of South Park.

In the movies, Matilda and Carrie, the main characters both have telekinesis abilities that they use to their own advantage. Obviously, the movie, Matilda, is kid-friendly while the movie, Carrie, is a horror film so their actions will be completely different. However, the movies indicate that Carrie and Matilda, the main characters from the films, have used more than 10% of their brain. They have an ability like no other character in the movies, and it is unbelievable until everyone else witnesses it. 

In the episode, The Biggest Douche in the Universe, from South Park, a couple of characters travel to New York to appear on a tv show to receive help from an individual who can "talk" to the dead. The character, Stan, quickly understands that the guy does not have a special ability and he is simply using simple tricks to appear right. Stan begins to use those tricks and people begin to believe that he has special abilities as well. It reminds me of how James Randi exposed James Hydrick and Uri Gellar through his explanations. James Randi was able to debunk their abilities by explaining the tricks they use and how they prepare the necessary supplies. Once Randi knew that information, he was able to perform the same tricks that Hydrick and Gellar had. It is similar to how Stan was able to recreate the abilities of the man who could "talk" to the dead. 

I think it is interesting how we do not know what would happen if we used more than 10% of our brain, but we all have a common depiction of what it would be and that we use it to create the plots of films, tv shows, and books. However, it never seems to be dull to anyone if the same physic ability can be used over and over again. 

10% of Our Brain and Out of Body Experiences

This information was interesting because illusion causes people to believe what they know cannot be real. Obviously, people having the ability to move things with their mind is not attainable but when you see it with your eyes, your mind plays tricks on you and this is why illusionists are so popular. David Blaine, the illusionist, performs ridiculous stunts that look like one thing but are really something completely different. Watch one here:  https://youtu.be/k2FIFQIYBvA  https://youtu.be/wTqsV3q7rRU 

What's compelling about the Heaven's Gate story is that they believed their soul and body were separate. So they were content with committing mass suicide, which is completely unhinged. But, it made me stop to think that being raised as a Catholic, I was told that when we die, just our soul goes to heaven, leaving our body. It was something that I never really thought about, I just accepted that to be true. Again, religions/cults causes people to believe what they want to believe.

End of the World

 

The examples that tell of prophecies for the end of the world, do not seem credible. This is because in most stories, it isn’t based on facts, but merely thoughts of a “leader” or someone with a following that has created hysteria though their mere “guesses” of a catastrophe.

However, I can see how the Y2K fears could have been found credible. That was because computers were not equipped to calculate using dates that started with 20 instead of 19. My older brother was born in 2000, so my mom was pregnant with him on that New Year’s Eve when it was turning 2000, and my father, was a police officer so he was working that night.

They have both told me stories from that night that they were unsure of what may happen. My mom went to stay with her parents, in case anything weird happened so she wasn’t alone. My father said a normal night on the street was tough enough, and he didn’t know if traffic lights, police scanners, electricity, computers etc. would malfunction and cause major, chaotic issues. Nothing bad happened, but this seemed more like it had the potential for bedlam.

Using 10% of our brains

Speaking to animals/My Cat From Hell 

July 8th

I found this topic to be really interesting. As a former believer of the idea that we only use 10% of our minds, it was really cool to see that all parts of our brains are active in some way or another throughout the day. The first video on the slides about a woman who could speak to dogs shocked me and it made me wonder about the reality show My Cat From Hell (here is an example episode if you haven't heard of it) about this man who goes house to house as a 'cat whisperer' and helps families with disobedient and dangerous pets. I wanted to investigate if his 11 season show was actually credible.

After watching a few episodes, I decided that his show was, although dramatized, based on facts, science, and slow thinking. He uses behavioral clues from both owners and animals to figure out what the underlying issues are (territory, fear, trauma) for the animal and he gives the owners advice on what to do moving forward to help living happily with their pets. Unlike the video from the slides with the woman who would give general and vague descriptions that could describe any golden retreiver, this man uses science, animal behavioral specifically, and facts to make a reasonable estimation of why the cat is acting hellish. 

Graphology blog post 3

                                                                                         

                                                                                  Jordyn Neff

                                                                                  Graphology

                                                                                  July 8th 2023

    Graphology was a term I was unfamiliar with until today. Is it reasonable to make assumptions about someone's personality based on their handwriting? The slides showed that people have different handwriting based on their personalities, but the traits they described seem like moods rather than personality traits. Different handwriting based on mood makes sense to me, but handwriting depending on personality does not.

     I have noticed while writing letters to my boyfriend who is in the Navy, that if I'm excited my handwriting is messier. If I am concentrating on what I'm writing then it is neater. When my mind is racing the letters and words are closer together, and if I'm calm they are almost perfectly spaced. If you compare four letters depending on my moods, they will all have different handwriting. But that doesn't mean that my personality changes every time I write a letter. It was also interesting to me that they used handwriting to make personnel decisions. To me, handwriting is not a great way to make decisions and that is why they resulted in financial losses when they used this as a selection method. 

Subliminal Messaging Blog post 2

                                                                       Subliminal Messaging 

                                                                               Jordyn Neff 

                                                                             July 8th 2023

    I think subliminal messages are still used in the media to this day. I learned about this topic in Introduction to Psychology but only briefly. I do agree with the statement "What you expect is what you believe [not what you get]" (Pratkanis). I believe that the subconscious mind affects daily life and what you see you start to believe.  For example, if you are hungry but don't know what to eat and are watching a show with a commercial for taco bell, you may begin to crave taco bell. You weren't thinking about it at first, but then you saw something that made you desire it. 

     I found it interesting that they have conducted experiments to test subliminal messaging and have found little evidence to support it. It makes me wonder if this occurs truly as a placebo effect or if it says that due to the small amount of data collected. 

I learned in a past psychology course that advertisers may times pair famous celebrities with products as well to catch your eye and make you more inclined to buy their product. This differs then subliminal messages but is still connected in one way. They both cause you to be more interested in buying the product or listening to the message. I found this topic interesting and would like to learn more about this type of advertising. I would love to know if the data would show an effect if more data were collected. 

Bigfoot Blog post 1

        

                                                                                  Bigfoot

                                                                               Jordyn Neff

                                                                              July 7th 2023 

    I was exposed to many myths and legends as a child. Myths such as bigfoot and the abominable snowman would frequently be mentioned in TV shows and movies. Growing up, I enjoyed hearing these stories, but that is all I ever considered them to be. When I saw the name cryptozoology I was immediately interested. I knew people would search and try to find animals such as Bigfoot or the loch-ness monster, but I never knew how passionate some people were about it. 

    The fact that these myths began almost 205 years ago astounded me. This indicates that these myths have been passed down over many generations. The discovery that references to bigfoot were imprinted on masks and totem poles produced by coast Indians in British Columbia was also fascinating to me. This demonstrates how persistent these myths have been throughout time.  

   Images of what bigfoot was imagined to look like have changed and been altered over time. Originally it was said this creature had "very long arms with immense hands or claws" and had a "stooping gait" (slide 18). It has since been defined as a more bearlike creature with hair all over its body.  The bearlike creature is the image of bigfoot I have seen in movies and television shows growing up as a child. It is interesting to learn the ways bigfoot has evolved over the past 205 years. 

 (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yGod2tEO03SZUVcfZZ0AMKOpH2R4Rw4mMSJ_CxYWlfI/edit#slide=id.g32b2b34e32_0_0) 

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The End of the World

 The End of the World

Jared Keane

July 6 2023

    As with most cases studied in this class, belief in things that are proven to be false or superstitious relies on one's own needs. 

    For example, one of the reasons cults can be successful is die to their  ability to pray on the weaknesses of their members. People are more likely to believe in something ridiculous (like world-ending prophecy) if they are vulnerable and don't have anywhere else to go.

    Perhaps doomsday and flat-earth believers actually are just lonely people who are desperate to stand out and have access to secret information that others don't; to fit in where they can't.

    In fact, people's own bias or emotional vulnerability plays a large role in many topic in this class from UFO's to doomsday cults to putting your faith in a psychic detective. Perhaps many of these topics wouldn't be so prevalent if people were more skeptical and weren't easy targets to superstition.

UFO Abductions

 UFO Abductions

Jared Keane

July 6 2023

    UFO sightings are so prevalent in our culture, that from the media to tv shows, everyone is eager to report on anyone who claims they have seen strange objects in the sky.

    In lecture 9, it is understood that no sighting has been confirmed authentic. However, there are still so many people devoted to the cause of proving that we have been visited by alien life. Perhaps it is their own ego that drives them to their conclusions, or they are despite not not feel so alone in the empty cosmos of the universe. 

    No matter why people remain so passionate about their "findings", one thing remans true, due to the lack of evidence from faulty authorities, the search for actual answers continues. 

Lecture 3

Dualistic paranormal belief - Soul can leave the body, they are made from separate forms. 

(Slide 18) Majority of religions believe in the distinction between body and the soul. Descartes - 17th century, he could doubt existence of body but couldn't logically doubt that he was doubting, "I think, therefore I am". You can imagine yourself being in other locations. This is a paranormal belief; Makes people more susceptible to false beliefs (ESP). (Slide 19) https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eXfj1qPFjl1RgkJpiPjCPAfNjk5NCx86d2xj2EmJNX8/present?slide=id.i68

This may not make any sense to someone who's reading this with no knowledge and/or experience with Out of Body experiences, but there is such a thing as leaving your body, or an out of body experience and it isn't really paranormal. I believe that it isn't just a paranormal thing. From a mental health perspective, there are terms for experiences like this: dissociation, depersonalization, derealization, and hallucinations. In a basic definition, these terms basically mean: feeling disconnected or separated physically, feeling like you're outside looking in. Feeling like you aren't real or your surroundings aren't, (doubting the existence of body.. - Descartes), or hearing/seeing things that no one else can. This ties into the paranormal & intuition because that feeling is odd, and people use words like that when something is very unfamiliar.

Learning Styles

 Learning Styles

Jared Keane

July 6 2023

    Lecture 7 is focused on "learning styles" which describes types of learning based on sensory information (sight, sound, touch, reading, and writing). 

    The core idea behind this is that some students are visual learners and some learn more hands on. Therefore, it is the teacher's responsibility to  teach to a student's specific style. However, the reason this is a false assumption and why learning styles are a myth, is because they don't exist. Learning styles is merely a preference that can change a fluctuate depending on what is being taught.

    In conclusion, learning styles fits into a pseudoscience /  superstitious belief that it is a strategy that helps students and needs to be employed at the expense of educators.