Name: The Believing Brain
ISBN: 9781780335292

Michael Shermer

Bestselling author Shermer presents a comprehensive and provocative theory on how beliefs are born, formed, reinforced, challenged, changed, and extinguished.

From Spiritual Faiths to Political Convictions - How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths. Michael Shermer

The Believing Brain

Shermer demonstrates how our brains selectively assess data in an attempt to confirm the conclusions (beliefs) we've already reached. Drawing on evolution, cognitive science, and neuroscience, he considers not only supernatural beliefs but political and economic ones as well.

From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

Wilde

While providing an interesting insight into the contrast between the rationality of science and the irrationality of the human mind, at times this felt somewhat disjointed. The first half was thoroughly enjoyable however and is a great introduction for those new to critical thinking and the philosophy of science.

Erhan Bilici

Mrigank

Christopher Wheeler

Lucas Coelho

Synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist and science historian, Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer argues, is a belief engine. Using sensory data that flow in through the senses, the brain naturally looks for and finds patterns - and then infuses those patterns with meaning, forming beliefs. Once beliefs are formed, our brains subconsciously seek out confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, which accelerates the process of reinforcing them, and round and round the process goes in a positive-feedback loop. In The Believing Brain, Shermer provides countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal. Ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not our belief matches reality.

The Believing Brain From Spiritual Faiths to Political Convictions - How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths. Michael Shermer

Reviews

Highlights