We all hold beliefs that are not provable, and defining when these beliefs cross the line and become psychotic delusions is not easy. It's clear that such a line does exist, however: every town has its share of people whose religious beliefs fall sufficiently far outside the conventional that they are declared psychotic.In popular imagination, at least, psychotic delusions often have a religious
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August 10, 2010
December 2, 2009
What if you saw something that rocked your world … and you didn't notice?
If you're a regular read of Cognitive Daily, you're, relatively accustomed to seeing surprising things. Indeed, it's gotten to the point where you might even expect it. You've seen optical illusions and videos that baffle the imagination. Yet most participants in psychology research studies aren't aware of the many ways the mind can be "tricked." One of the most dramatic tricks, which we've discu
19 Vote(s)
19 Vote(s)
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October 28, 2009
Visual illusions can be caused by imagination
A fantastic study just published in Cognition reports that the motion aftereffect illusion, where staring at something constantly moving in one direction causes illusory movement in the opposite direction when you look away, can be caused just by imagining that the movement is happening.The effect is occasionally called the 'waterfall illusion' because it can be triggered by staring at a waterfal
16 Vote(s)
16 Vote(s)
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September 30, 2009
Nervous Breakdown: Remember When People Used to Overcome Mental Illness?
When I was growing up, people had nervous breakdowns - you know, through some trauma or emotional exertion, they temporarily "went crazy" and had to be institutionalized. As a child, we ooed and aahed about such mysterious cases in our neighborhood. Then the person would reappear, somewhat ashen (or was that my imagination), as they reintegrated themselves in their family and work lives.Then re
8 Vote(s)
8 Vote(s)
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