“They found that people who reported using psychedelics scored higher than those who didn’t on a conspiracy mentality questionnaire in which participants rated statements including “I think that government agencies closely monitor all citizens” and “I think that there are secret organizations that greatly influence political decisions.”
So anyone who’s read the “Patriot Act”, knows who Edward Snowden is, or followed the news since 2001 is a conspiracy theorist? Or that anyone who knows what lobbyists and PACs are for, or read the Citizens United case is a conspiracy theorist? Maybe the “conspiracy mentality questionnaire” should be renamed the “People who have read a newspaper in the last 20 years” questionnaire. Good grief.
I wish I'd been paid to conduct that study of conspiratorial thinking. It's like, duh! Of course that's what people who are paying attention would think. I did appreciate the author's noting that we know governments lie like rugs - that doesn't take a psychedelic user to be clear on that - especially here in the US.
“They found that people who reported using psychedelics scored higher than those who didn’t on a conspiracy mentality questionnaire in which participants rated statements including “I think that government agencies closely monitor all citizens” and “I think that there are secret organizations that greatly influence political decisions.”
So anyone who’s read the “Patriot Act”, knows who Edward Snowden is, or followed the news since 2001 is a conspiracy theorist? Or that anyone who knows what lobbyists and PACs are for, or read the Citizens United case is a conspiracy theorist? Maybe the “conspiracy mentality questionnaire” should be renamed the “People who have read a newspaper in the last 20 years” questionnaire. Good grief.
Thank you. Yes. Rename conspiracy thinking to “reality understanding.”
I wish I'd been paid to conduct that study of conspiratorial thinking. It's like, duh! Of course that's what people who are paying attention would think. I did appreciate the author's noting that we know governments lie like rugs - that doesn't take a psychedelic user to be clear on that - especially here in the US.