Why do even intelligent and educated people often believe nonsense? For example, Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer who invented Sherlock Holmes, the detective who solved his cases with scientific precision.
Therefore, Conan Doyle knew very well what empirical evidence and rationality is, and yet he was a follower of spiritualism. His friend, the famous magician Houdini, tried unsuccessfully to convince Conan Doyle away from this humbug, probably arguing in a similar way as Sherlock Holmes solved his cases: by referring to evidence and rationality.
The reason why Conan Doyle believed in spiritualism: His wife was a well-known spiritualist who also organized séances. So if her husband had been convinced by Houdini, he would have admitted that his wife was a fraud who took advantage of people's credulity.
Conan Doyle, however, apparently loved his wife more than the scientific method, and that is why he remained a follower of spiritualism throughout his life, although by using his intelligence and education he would have been able to debunk this as humbug.
And so it is in many cases: We believe in things because we have a vital interest in these things being true. And reason then serves only to justify this belief.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Bertrand Russell said that thinking is the most difficult thing a human being can do. That being the case even the most diamond hard rationalist will occasionally entertain some belief, even if only momentarily or for a brief period.
ASTRALMAX
Level 8
Oct 19, 2021
3
Of course. All people become dillusional at times in their lives. Think of falling in love, or infatuation, or times of stress and distress. Religion however is permanent state of dillusional thinking, in effect a mental disorder, as some psychology people say. Still functional, but dillusional in this respect.
@MsKathleen certainly, with the false confirmation of other dillusional people, as in the case of churches. False human thinking is never so false than when it's based on the false belief that all these people believe it too so it must be true. Then it's not just a temporary personal dillusion -- like that person we're infatuated with, though it's not reciprocated and hopeless -- but a shared group dillusion, with the false 'validation' that this gives.
@MsKathleen don't be snarky.
It's a good question, and psychologists and neuroscientists are working on that, with some interesting research. My layman understanding is that our brains evolved to believe in nonsense, to make us feel better about the scary world we live in. Such beliefs produce feel good chemicals in the brain and these are the basis of all human addictions. Also, it is my understanding that when intelligent people are engaging in or involved in nonsense, such as religion and other forms of mysticism, the rational part of their brains are not in control, but rather the emotional and residue child part of their mind and personality is. This kind of mind segmentation is how people reconcile a rational approach to life generally with belief in nonsense -- in effect they don't reconcile it at all but separate. I believe this is why, when you press logical probing questions about religion or other mysticism to a person you know is very intelligent, they become uncomfortable. This is cognitive dissonance, discordance between their rational and emotional parts of their minds. I'm sure an expert in these fields would provide a more technically accurate description compared to my humble effort, but this in general is my understanding of it.
David1955
Level 8
Oct 18, 2021
1
@Matias curious answer. You say I focus too much on the individual, then detail specific reasons for Conan Doyle's attraction to the mystical. We may be social creatures, but human groups are still groups of individuals where group behaviour reflect the psychology and behaviour of the individual.
Ah, love … the great rationality attenuator! 
p-nullifidian
Level 8
Oct 18, 2021
2
That was my conclusion, as well, but you said it nicer. My reply had an anatomy part in it. LOL. Sherlock was an ideal which Doyle killed off because it was extreme.
You shouldn't have such an open mind that your brains fall out. Ha, ha.
Doyle let himself be convinced of fairies by a couple of children playing with a borrowed camera and cardboard cutouts. Ha, ha again.[bbc.com]
Cottingley Fairies, Wikipedia -- [en.m.wikipedia.org]
I try in general to follow a maxim written by George Polya many years ago:"Do not believe anything, but question only what is worth questioning".
A question to always ask is -- how much effort am I willing to spend agreeing with claim?
Or should I just assume it's false until evidence supports it?
RichCC
Level 8
Oct 18, 2021
3
Effort wins for me.
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