Transmitting beliefs - Letters to the Editor

After reading Kendrick Frazier's News & Comment (March/April 2002), about the transmission of paranormal beliefs as published in Sociological Perspective, I am, no doubt, one of many who thought "Yes, of course, I knew that." I'm glad that lab experiments confirm what seems obvious concerning the social impact theory which states "The social impact of a message source comes ... from three factors: the number of people, their strength or status, and their immediacy or closeness."

Another social impact, inclusive but not mentioned, is the very flier that a scientific experiment was being conducted and the subjects in the experiment were given oral instructions "that included a brief review of 'evidence' for a pyramid's special powers." Would results of the study been different if the subjects had been given balanced oral instructions of claims and counter claims for the pyramid's special powers? Perhaps the "prompting" of the testers unduly influenced the subjects.

It also struck me that the term paranormal beliefs could have easily been replaced by the term religious beliefs and made just as much sense. It is impossible for a child to resist the influence of family concerning religious beliefs but with age and education it becomes easier to resist social impact. Even then, the views of esteemed religious leaders, politicians, and especially some renowned scientists are difficult to resist. There are exceptions of course. "[My] deep religiosity ... found an abrupt ending at age twelve, through the reading of popular scientific books" (Albert Einstein, as quoted from Einstein, History, and Other Passions, p. 172.) Other exceptions, no doubt, include the majority of SKEPTICAL INQUIRER's readers.

Craig Gosling

Indianapolis, Indiana

A minor comment related to Kendrick Frazier's News & Comment on paranormal beliefs. In the 1980s, while working for a division of Transamerica Bank, Insurance, et al. (that of the pyramid building in San Francisco), we, in sales, would receive directives from the corporate office to mention the "power of the pyramid" to prospective customers--it was supposed to facilitate sales. I could never bring myself to do that, and never did. It would have been humiliating to say that to an educated individual.

William Comiskey

Edina, Minnesota

COPYRIGHT 2002 Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
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