Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Supernatural Science: Why We Want to Believe

By Robert Roy Britt / Source: MSNBC

Monsters are everywhere these days, and belief in them is as strong as ever. What's harder to believe is why so many people buy into hazy evidence, shady schemes and downright false reports that perpetuate myths that often have just one ultimate truth: They put money in the pockets of their purveyors.


The bottom line, according to several interviews with people who study these things: People want to believe, and most simply can't help it.


"Many people quite simply just want to believe," said Brian Cronk, a professor of psychology at Missouri Western State University. "The human brain is always trying to determine why things happen, and when the reason is not clear, we tend to make up some pretty bizarre explanations."


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