M. Lamar Keene, The true-believer syndrome merits study by science.?

Question

The true-believer syndrome merits study by science. What is it that compels a person, past all reason, to believe the unbelievable. How can an otherwise sane individual become so enamored of a fantasy, an imposture, that even after it's exposed in the bright light of day he still clings to it — indeed, clings to it all the harder?... No amount of logic can shatter a faith consciously based on a lie. — M. Lamar Keene

M. Lamar Keene was born about 1938 and is reported as deceased. He was a spirit medium in Florida and was known as the "Prince of the Spiritualists".

In his book The Psychic Mafia (1976), Keene admitted that all of his psychic activities were done by fraudulent means. He revealed how he got rich by tricking thousands of people in séances. He described how the victims fell for the most transparent ruses. He coined the term True-believer syndrome in the book.

Why do you people believe in Sylvia Browne? She is money hungry fraud that decieves grieving indivaduals.

Answer 1

I agree and would also suggest that the skeptic, or what Martin Truzzi the co-founder on CSICOP called psuedoskeptics for failing to accept the established standards of scientific evidence for everything except claims of the paranormal, also merits serious scientific study.

Unfortunately believers have been studied for years and almost every possible characteristic measured while the psychological pathology of the skeptic has remained not studied with no psychological help being offered to their community.

I do not "believe in" Sylvia Browne. I conclude from rational examination that there is not scientifically valid evidence to support her claims of being psychic.

There is also no scientific evidence (or experiments or analysis) that have failed to provide support for her abilities.

She does not cooperate with scientist and that is unfortunate in my opinion.

However, one's belief that a person is "money hungry" (and I agree with this impression) is not evidence of deception or lack of psychic abilities it is merely an opinion (perhaps a correct and well considered one).

I have many issue with her claims and the manner in which she conducts herself which I think unethical.

However, personal opinions are not science and also require belief,

Before one can reach  valid conclusion (in science) one must actually investigate with the accepted tools and standards of science and provide supporting evidence for a hypothesis be that she has psychic abilities or that she is a fraud as that both of those statements are positive assertions and in science require evidence.

Edit: Again I believe her conduct has been unethical in some (perhaps many) cases but no matter how dramatic failures or successes don't equal evidence of her psychic ability or lack thereof. One would need to do at least a representative sample of her readings and compare them to chance expectations to see if she was right or wrong at levels significantly away from chance. Your opinion was formed on the basis of emotions in regards to her conduct and the effect on the family (devastating I'm sure) but it is not science.

Psi

Answer 2

Many of the true believers are quite young, of course, so just as kids believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny, so some teens and young adults still believe in fairies and ghosts and talking to the dead.

A small percentage of others have some mental illness.

But in most cases I think it is just an exaggerated form of something common to all of us - we hate to admit we are wrong, or have been fooled, or lived a lie.  So it is often easier just to continue our self-delusion.

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Answer 3

The true believer syndrome must not only effect the believers of the paranormal.

Try talking to a Michael Jackson fan if you want to see total faith despite all the contary evidence. Including that he has only had two surgerys on his face.