Today on the Cognitive Dissidents Podcast we dive into the idea of the “Illusory Effect” which is the idea that the more we repeat, hear, or recall information the more we believe what it is that is being taught. We show how this psychological phenomenon is a tool that religions utilize in getting people to believe something they did not believe to begin with. We use the example in Mormonism of “A Testimony is gained in the bearing of it” to show how this works within religion.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_truth_effect
https://www.wired.com/2017/02/dont-believe-lies-just-people-repeat/
http://metro.co.uk/2015/12/01/if-you-repeat-a-lie-enough-people-think-its-true-5536488/
http://library.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/ft/rh/rh_reiteration_1997.pdf
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161026-how-liars-create-the-illusion-of-truth
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fighting-fear/201405/telling-yourself-something
www.spring.org.uk/2010/12/the-illusion-of-truth.php
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1983/01/the-candle-of-the-lord?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/youth/article/questions-about-bearing-your-testimony?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/10/pure-testimony?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/testimony?lang=eng
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Well said, I love it when I feel validated by this podcast all along. I always thought that was stupid. Why repeating something makes something true.
Note that this was not how I obtain my testimony of the book of Mormon. I gained my testimony of God through reading that book. For some reason I felt god want me to become of the LDS movement.
Nowadays, I’m not quite sure where God wants to lead me. I guess I’m waiting for further light and instruction, much of which I obtain here and from listening to other podcasts.
I am still very active LDS member, but I wonder if I would still be if my wife weren’t TBM. Probably not as much, I would more likely be semi-active.
I have a testimony, but rarely bear it in Fast and Testimony Meetings because I find those meetings to be either monotonous or overly emotional. I prefer to bear it when delivering a regular Sacrament Meeting talk, as I like to deliver a substantive message before bearing my testimony.
I believe that a testimony is increased by bearing it if there is one initially. However, in the absence of a testimony, one will not be obtained.
Thanks, Bill! Yes, govt is also using the same repetitive brainwashing strategy to implant new “truths” and twisted history for their own agenda. The book of Mormon thesis is the same, showing us that all govts and churches fail (no exceptions) for the same reason – dogma = commandments of men = cultism.
Bill,
Have you seen this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases#/media/File:The_Cognitive_Bias_Codex_-_180%2B_biases,_designed_by_John_Manoogian_III_(jm3).png
To find out about your unconscious biases you can follow this link:
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html