From Brainwashing to Circular Reasoning to the Unexplainable

Art Bell, "Coast to Coast"

Our last story used primarily religious examples of brainwashing, manipulation, thus prompting this comment from a reader:  

"It seems to me you might, in some cases, be confusing faith and stupidity. Granted though, sometimes it very hard to tell the difference."

True enough.  Several of my examples of brainwashing were religious in nature, although the Trump cult combines elements of religion, hero worship and false narrative.

Trumpites, not unlike religious zealouts, can find ways to illustrate and "prove" their viewpoints without actual, provable facts.  

This reminds me of a Biblical definition of faith at Hebrews, Chapter 11, Verse 1:  

“Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.”(Evidence and assurance, realities?  Nicely worded scripture!)

The notes for my previous article, written on a single page of a spiral notebook, contained references to, not just religion, but UFOs, alternative medicine, chi, transcendental meditation, etc. Of course, we can't do justice to all that here.

As an avid listener of Art Bell's Coast to Coast in the 90's, a show dealing with the paranormal, aliens and other phenomena, I remember another tool used by political spinmeisters, religion explainers and true believers of all shades; circular reasoning.

Circular reasoning starts with since we all know this is true. . . . . . ending with this must also be true.  Facts are frequently used, but incidental or irrelevant to the argument.

Art Bell had a number of programs about aliens, some originating in Roswell, New Mexico.

Art would interview a former sheriff, who lived in Roswell in the 40's, detailing his tenure as sheriff, the size of his family, precisely when he saw what he saw, etc., minutiae, detail after detail, but stopping just short of the single most important fact;  when did he see the little green men and what did they tell him about their mission?

Art would hold his listeners spellbound, building to a crescendo, then unsatifyingly shift to another nuance on the subject.  Classicly circular in reasoning.

Pehaps not little green men, but ghosts, demons, the paranormal are part of the life experience of many, Nena included.  

Her grandmother, Rosa, practiced a form of witchcraft on King Street in a house moved to make way for the Gladys Porter Zoo.  She did hexes and blessings for those who asked.

Nena and her sister can't be convinced they didn't see strange things in that house, lights and water faucets turned on during the night, the cries of a baby emanating from a shrine her grandmother had set up for her long-dead granddaughter.  There were gruesome things too they don't like to talk about. 

The two girls would run to their grandmother crying, only to be reassured:  "Don't worry little ones, it's just Juanita's baby."

Speaking of communication from the spirit world, Art Bell would occasionally receive an anonymous call from someone with the recorded voice of a demon.  Although not claiming to be a believer in demonic activity, I admit that voice caused my whole body to shake and lowered the temperature in the room seemingly 20 degrees.

OK.  Religious and political propaganda exists as does circular reasoning.  But, there's also the unexplainable.  I have questions about all of it, just no answers.