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Mind Control Delusions and the Web
biohack writes "An article in the New York Times provides interesting insight into online communities of people who believe that they are subjected to mind control. 'Type "mind control" or "gang stalking" into Google, and Web sites appear that describe cases of persecution, both psychological and physical, related with the same minute details — red and white cars following victims, vandalism of their homes, snickering by those around them.' According to Dr. Vaughan Bell, a British psychologist who has researched the effect of the Internet on mental illness, '[the] extent of the community [...] poses a paradox to the traditional way delusion is defined under the diagnostic guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association, which says that if a belief is held by a person's "culture or subculture," it is not a delusion. The exception accounts for rituals of religious faith, for example.'"
If I hear people snickering behind me, my first instinct IS to assume they are laughing at me. My rational mind then takes over and reminds me this is unlikely; but, still, I assumed this response is either normal for humans or trained as a result of our "kick me" sticky-note pranks as kids. I never realized it meant I was nuts.
If it's any consolation, we really were laughing at you.
This guy's the limit!
The only thing that properly defines a delusion is that it is an incorrect belief.
Which requires you to define "incorrect". Now I'm all with you on the religion crap, in fact I think everyone who is deeply religious qualifies as insane. But it is a bit hard to define, because you can not go the way of falsification (religions are very good and making sure you can not "disprove" them) and you can not go the way of verification (because almost nothing in science is verified, if you apply the standard strictly).
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Just because you're deluded doesn't mean you don't occasionally guess right.
Just because your cult is all deluded in the same way doesn't mean you don't occasionally guess right.
Just because your cult is big enough or strong enough to be called a "religion" doesn't mean you're not all deluded.
In fact, most religious people are deluded. They can't all be right about all their mutually exclusive articles of faith, for which none of them have any proof (by definition).
Religion is delusion. They could use a shrink. The only reason they don't get real help for it is because they're surrounded by other people similarly deluded. Which is worse for the larger society (and themselves, really), not harmless. If only the APA had the guts to call it "accepted delusion", without pretending it's not delusion, we might all be closer to well.
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make install -not war
Who wrote the bible? It is known that the christian testaments WERE selected by a SINGLE individual who deciced what and what not to include from a host of other authors. How much did he leave out? Did he add anything? What was his agenda?
Same with Islam, it was written by a pedo who had sex with a girl only about 6 years old. And it is from HIS writings that the rest of the religion takes its que as to the acceptable age of marriage. Chicken and the egg anyone? How much did the prophet introduce his own leanings into the supposed godly teachings?
Same with the old testament, how can there be a people of Israel if all people are from the same two? Who wrote the original testaments? We have accounting of the actual telling of the testaments by god to the scribes, they just seem to have popped up somewhere. Slightly odd, at least most of the new testaments are supposed to be eye witness accounts even if 2nd or 3rd hand ones. But who witnessed or was told genesis?
Scientology just makes it bloody obvious that religions should be questioned as to the motivations of its founders. 2000 or 6000 years don't suddenly make it possible to ignore the question: "Where is the money".
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
All I read was the title, is this about Obama's campaign?
Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.