by Will Storr
‘being stared at’, sense of 255, 258, 262, 265, 276
beliefs
coherent 218
core 183
and facts 201
faulty 84, 142, 182, 218
forcing onto others 311
of others 50–51
religious 197
simplified nature of 133
Benedetti, Fabrizio 42
Bentall, Richard 145–48, 155–57, 180, 310, 313
Benveniste, Jacques 110–12, 115
Beowulf 302
Berns, Gregory 71–2
Bible 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 25
Condemnation of homosexuality 14–15, 18
Dragons of 13
Genesis 3–4, 13
Binary Judgments, 133–34, 309
Blair, Tony 94
Blind spots 79, 82
Blindness 82
Blizzard, Pam 289
Bloom, Paul 304
Blue Mountains 52, 64
Bortolotti, Lisa 182
brain 42, 70–92, 101–103
and confabulation 189–96
development 73
experience expectant’ nature 205
faulty beliefs of 84–91
information processing capacity 79
left/right hemispheres of 190–92
mental models of 76, 85–86, 102, 147–48, 183, 185–86, 316
and the mind 303–304
organic abnormalities of schizophrenia
prefrontal cortex 73
size 75
and storytelling 188–89, 191–92, 305–307
tumours in 92–93, 116
breath control (‘Pranayama’) 32–26, 38, 40–41, 45, 56, 134, 196
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) 95
British Centre for Science Education 5
British Empire 209–210, 249, 250, 252–53, 309
British False Memory Society 170, 173
British Homeopathic Association 109
British Journal of Psychiatry 145
Browne, Sylvia 290
Bruner, Jerome ix, 303
Buddha 52
Buddhist meditation 52–62, 182
Buddhists 65, 70, 182
Bulger killings 171
Bush, George W. 87
Butler, Rab 232
Cambridge Union 210
Campbell, Joseph 303
cancer 93
‘cures’ for 33, 35, 38–39, 116, 181, 242, 310
Cancer Act 1939 116
cannibalism 175
Cannon, Dolores 44
Capitalism 213, 217
Capolingua, Rosanna 39–40
carbon-dioxide levels 204
Carroll, Lewis 201
Carson, Rachel 211
Catholics 21
cause and effect 184–187, 189, 196, 206, 302, 304
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 118–119, 124, 135
certainty
human need for 132–34, 197, 252
rejection of 268
change 306
Charles E. Holman Foundation 118
chemotherapy 35, 93
Chibnall, Albert 256, 257
chick-sexers 186–87
childhood abuse 165–72, 173–75, 176–78, 179
sexual 145, 146, 156–57, 162, 180
children 75
China 83
Christ Church, Oxford 200, 201
Christians 4, 6, 7, 133, 134
condemnation of homosexuality 14–15, 18
morality 15–16, 122
see also creationists
Churchill, Winston 208, 235, 249, 250
Clancy, Susan 50
climate-change sceptics 200, 203–204, 216
Clinic for Dissociative Studies 171
Clinton, Hilary 118
Coan, Chris 166–67
Coan, Jim 166–67
cochlear implants 78
cognitive bias 85, 87–88, 90–91, 103–104, 111, 183, 186, 244, 272
see also confirmation bias
cognitive dissonance 84–87, 96, 102, 181
coin toss tests 262
Colapinto, John 312
cold war 149, 212, 215
Coleman, Ron 136–37, 141, 146, 148, 157, 162, 186, 306
colour, perception of 80
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) 275
Communists 212, 222, 249–50
con artists 107
concentration camps 220–21, 224, 230, 245
confabulation 189–90, 192–96, 203, 207, 218, 253, 307, 315
confirmation bias 85, 87, 96, 181, 182, 188, 221, 243, 246, 312
consciousness 267–68
as Hero-Maker 306
conviction, unconscious 33
Conway, Martin 201
Cooper, Alice 275
Copenhagen Climate Conference 204
Copenhagen Treaty 2009 216
core beliefs 183
cows, sacred 40
Creation Research 5
Creation Science Foundation 12
creationists 2–10, 13–19, 20, 26, 30, 100, 162, 261, 308, 310
Crick, Francis 258, 268
CSICOP see Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
culture, power of 211, 302
‘culture heroes’ 311
‘culture wars’ 30, 309
Daily Mail (newspaper) 225, 228, 232
Daily Telegraph (newspaper) 243–44, 263
Dali, Salvador 275
Darwin, Charles 2, 10, 11, 94
Davenas, Elisabeth 110–11
Dawkins, Richard 2, 6, 10, 19, 94, 142, 259, 261, 271, 272, 287, 290, 308
DDT 211
de-individuation 69
deafness 78, 82
decision-making 181, 267
and emotion 184–85, 189
dehumanization 69–70
delusions 103–104, 130, 178–79, 182, 272
finding evidence for 135
and Morgellons 120
of parasitosis (DOP) 120, 122, 124, 125, 129, 162
democracy, end of 216
Demon-Marker function 308–309
depression 33, 43, 45, 128, 141, 148
Dermatologic Therapy (journal) 128
development factors 183
Devil, Australia see Gympie
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 143, 144
dialogue-ing 149, 151–52
Diana, Princess of Wales 286
diazepam (Valium) 42
dinosaurs 13, 19
Dog World (magazine) 293–94
dogma 106–107, 258
domestic abusers 89
DOP (delusions of parasitosis) 120, 122, 124, 125, 129, 162
dopamine 155, 196
doubt 133, 257
sensitivity to 261
dragons 13
dreaming 193, 195
lucid 76
drunkenness, cultural determinants of 83–84
DSM see Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Eagleman, David 74, 79, 80, 185, 186, 192, 193, 268–69
eccentricity 310
Economist, The (weekly publications) 312
Eden 14
Eden, Anthony 208
Edward V111 208
‘effectance motive’ 184
ego 224
dream 195
ego-bolstering, unconscious 96, 103, 181
egoists 88, 196
Eichmann, Adolf 245
Einstein, Albert 201, 285
Eliade, Mircea 302
emotions 183, 184–85, 187, 194, 305
and beliefs 188, 189, 196–97
culturally unique 83
and decision-making 184, 185, 187
see also anger; happiness
energy
clean 25
Enfield Gazette (newspaper) 280
Enfield Poltergeist case 280
Enlightenment 255
en
vy 218
epinephrine 189–90
Epley, Nicholas 88
escapology 273–74
ESP see extrasensory perception
Ethics Committee of the Federal Australian Medical Association 39
European Union (EU) 212
European Union Parliament House 234
Evans, Dylan 83
Evans, Richard 224
Eve 5, 12
Eve, Mitochondrial 73
Everett, Daniel 312
evidence, denial of 221, 261
evil
psychology of 69–70, 307–308
‘supremely good’ motivations for 89
evolution 73
arguments against 2–7, 10–13
arguments for 19–20, 100–101
experimental psychology 88, 101, 142, 316
extrasensory perception (ESP) 255, 266, 274, 294
alien 24
sense of ‘being stared at’ 254–55, 258, 262
facts
and belief 183
inefficiency 26
fairies 83
faith, as journey 21, 134
false memories 156, 165–70, 173–74, 178, 194
familiar, the, attraction to 183
‘fan death’ 83
Fate magazine 281
fear 203, 205, 206
Feinberg, Todd E. 82
Felstead, Anthony 160, 164
Felstead, David 159–60, 164, 171, 175, 176
Felstead, Joan 164
Felstead, Joseph 160, 161, 164, 165
Felstead, Kevin 160, 161, 164
Felstead, Richard 159–160, 164, 176–77
Felstead family 163, 165, 166, 168, 170, 176
Festinger, Leon 85, 188
Financial Service Act 214
First World War 231
Fisher, Fleur 161, 163, 165, 166, 176, 307
Flim Flam (Randi, 1982) 271, 279, 288, 295
Flood, biblical 14
fMRI see Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
foetal development 74
fossil record 10, 13–14, 19, 101
Fourth Annual Morgellons Conference 121–28
Fox, Kate 84
Franklin, Wilbur 282, 293
free will 193, 217, 307
as confabulation 193
French Assembly 204
French, Chris 50, 104, 108, 169, 173, 288, 315
French Revolution 204
Freud, Sigmund 171, 302
Frith, Chris 70, 77, 206, 315
Fromyhr, Liam 13
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) 71
fundamentalists 261
Garvey, James 203, 218
Gates, Bill 212
Gazzaniga, Michael 184, 190–92
Geertz, Clifford 75
Geller, Uri 99, 275, 280, 281, 287, 288, 290, 293
genes 221
genetic factors 205
and beliefs 221
and political attitude 205
and schizophrenia 145, 154
genome 205, 206
Genus Epidemicus 115
George, St, and the dragon 13
ghost-hunters 21
ghosts 104
Gilovich, Thomas 86
Gindis, Alec 277, 278
global financial crisis 213
global governance 216–217
global warming 203
gnomes 83
God 17, 202, 305
Catholic interpretations of 21
and creation 3, 4, 5–6, 10
creation of 26
Darwin’s arguments against the existence of 11
deference to 18
existence of as scientifically testable 11
knowableness of 11, 22
and morality 15
see also anti-God rhetoric
Goebbels, Joseph 230, 232, 239, 245
Goenka, S.N. 57, 60, 61–63, 306
Goldacre, Ben 97
Göring, Hermann 232
Gottschall, Martin 25–26
Gottschall, Sheryl 26
governance, models of 217
Gray, Honourable Mr Justice 221, 223
Gray, John 81
Great Rift Valley 74
‘greys’ (aliens) 23, 33
group psychology 69, 88, 197
conformity to group pressure 70, 72
and the production of evil 70
Guardian (newspaper) 6
Gururumba tribe 83
Gympie, Australia 2–7, 10, 14, 16, 22, 33–53
gympie-gympie tree 2, 19
Hahnemann, Samuel 96, 115
Haidt, Honathan 83, 184, 193, 194–95, 205, 216–17, 315
Hale, Rob 172
hallucinations 82
auditory 137, 139, 141, 144, 145
see also voice-hearing
visual 152
halo effect 84
Ham, Ken 12
happiness, and religious belief 197
‘hard problem, the’ 267
Harrow 209
Harvard University 28–29, 30, 50, 285
Hawthorne Effect 107
hearing, sense of 262
Hearing Voices Network (HVN) 137, 140–41, 154, 162
Hebard, Arthur 279, 280, 295
Hebb, Donald 266
herbal remedies 36
Hercules 302
hero, the, how your memory rebuilds you as 194, 231
hero narratives 302–303, 306–309, 311–13
parasite 307, 312
Hero-Maker 306–307, 310–311, 312, 314
Heydrich, Reinhard 245
Himmler, Heinrich 235
Himmler bunker 236, 245
Hitler, Adolf 228, 231, 238, 239, 242, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, 151–52
Hitler Youth 204
Hitler’s bunker 238
HIV 207
see also AIDS
HMS Edinburgh (ship) 231
Hoefkens, Gemma 92–95, 96–97, 115–16, 141, 142, 181, 310
Holocaust denial 155, 221, 226, 229–30, 243, 244
Homeopathic Research Institute 109
homeopathy 94–102, 105–107, 109–121, 134, 181, 269, 277, 278
evidence for 106–114, 121, 134, 269
‘overdose’ protest against 96, 99, 105, 108–109
‘radionic’ method 115
Homerton Hospital 132
hominins 74
Homo sapiens 73
homophobia 188
homosexuality 137
Christian condemnation of 14–15, 18
Horsey, Richard 186
Horst Wessel Song (Nazi Party anthem) 239
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee 94
Hrab, George 108
Hume, David 203
Humphrey, Nicholas 43
Huntington’s disease testing 197
HVN see Hearing Voices Network
hypnotherapy
and false memory generation 166
and past-life regression 44–45, 47
hypnotism 189
‘I’, sense of 194, 196, 258
IBS seeirritable bowel syndrome
Iceland 83
identity 203
ideology 272
Illuminati 286–87, 288, 304
imitation 206
immigration 206, 223
Mexican 223
in-groups 84, 133
incest 168
information field 257, 266
INSERM 200 110
intelligence, and cognitive bias 224
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 216
International Academy of Classical Homeopathy 277
Internet 112
intuition 187, 216, 238
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) 43
Irving, David 269, 307, 308, 209, 333–335, 344, 345
Irving, John 219, 221, 238, 244
Irving, Nicholas 243
itch disorders 117–119
see also Morgellons
Jackson, Peter 312
>
James, William 106
James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) 99, 260, 275, 276, 290, 294
jealousy, sexual 64, 66, 104
Jesus 142
knowableness of 11
Jewish Chronicle (newspaper) 230
Jews 221, 230, 231, 244–51, 253, 309
see also Holocaust denial
Josefstadt Prison, Vienna 220
Journal of the American Medical Association 41
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 113–114
Journal of Philosophical Studies 182
JREF see James Randi Educational Foundation
Jutland, Battle of 231
Kahneman, Daniel 184, 303
Kaku, Michio 27
Kaptchuk, Ted 43
Keegan, Sir John 243–44
Keen, Montague 284
Keen, Veronica 283–88, 304
Kerry, John 87
KGB 212, 215
Kilstein, Vered 44–51, 53, 168, 305–306
King’s Cross station 136
‘koro’ 83
Krepel, Scott 78
Krippner, Stanley 288–89, 295
Krupp 233
Kuhn, Deanna 86
Los Angeles
LA Times (newspaper) 118
LaBerge, Stephen 76, 195
Labour Party 210
Lancet (journal) 109, 113
Langham, Chris 171
Lawrence, Stephen 236
Lebanese people 223
left, political 204–207, 211, 215
Leitao, Mary 118
Leitao’s Morgellons Research Foundation 118
Lemoine, Patrick 42
Lennon, John 49
Letwin, Oliver 214
Leuchter, Fred 229
Leviticus 14
Lewis, Andy 109, 114
Lipstadt, Deborah 221, 224, 243, 246, 309
Literary and Scientific Institutions Act 1854 210
Lo, Nathan 19–20, 22, 30, 100, 308
Loftus, Elizabeth 166, 173
love 44, 59
memories of 63, 133
Lucifer 4
see also Satan
McCain, John 118
McCullock, Kay 23–25
McDonald’s 67–68, 84
Mack, John E. 28–30, 51, 102–103, 142, 145, 272, 284–85
Mackay, Glennys 22–23, 30, 33
Mackay, John 1, 4–6, 1–11, 15–20, 30, 33, 53, 91, 100, 109, 182, 305, 306, 308
MacLeish, Eric 29
Maddox, Sir John 271, 287
magic-makers 7
magnetometers 279
Majdanek concentration camp 224, 230
Mameli, Matteo 182
manic depression 141
Mann, Nick 130–31, 134, 162
Marianna, Dame of Malta 208
Marshall, Michael ‘Marsh’ 105–109
Marxists 210
‘matchbox sign’ 124
materialism 256, 257–58, 259, 260–1, 266, 268–69
May, Rufus 148–49, 156, 182, 196, 304
meditation, Buddhist 52–53, 62, 182, 196
Meffert, Jeffrey 120
Mein Kampf (Hitler) 232, 233, 242
memory
autobiographical 194
fallibility of 201
see also false memories; recovered-
memory therapy