Psychological Clue to Past Life Belief

[Ex-drone]

I am not trusted to post links yet, but Scientific American website (sciam.com) with:

/article.cfm?articleid=A430214C-E7F2-99DF-3EEED6B0410A5114

covers a study by Maarten Peters of Maastricht University that shows that "people who believe they had previous lives are committing a source-monitoring error".

[SamanthaMc]

I am not trusted to post links yet, but Scientific American website (sciam.com) with:

/article.cfm?articleid=A430214C-E7F2-99DF-3EEED6B0410A5114

covers a study by Maarten Peters of Maastricht University that shows that "people who believe they had previous lives are committing a source-monitoring error".


Oh, you mean they aren't just bats:)t loony?

[strathmeyer]

We divide ******* loony people into groups, now.

[gerdbonk]

I am sure I read that same article back in 1865. I remember I perused it on the way see that play, Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater.

Although, for some reason I can't remember how the play ended.

[coalesce]

I am sure I read that same article back in 1865. I remember I perused it on the way see that play, Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater.

Although, for some reason I can't remember how the play ended.

I believe you said "I need to see this play like I need a hole in the head!"

Michael

[Fnord]

Yes ... but did you like the play?

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleid=A430214C-E7F2-99DF-3EEED6B0410A5114


~~ Paul

[sophia8]

I've been trying to find out more about this study, but everything leads back to the Live Science article, which doesn't give any reference.
Can anybody locate an abstract of the study for me? I'm arguing about it with a bleever, so I need the facts.

[fls]

I've been trying to find out more about this study, but everything leads back to the Live Science article, which doesn't give any reference.
Can anybody locate an abstract of the study for me? I'm arguing about it with a bleever, so I need the facts.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WD0-4JKRTR0-1&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2007&_rdoc=15&_fmt=full&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%236752%232007%23999839998%23639312%23F LA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=6752&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=18&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=6cf5b7d9a2a0504230b43ee48d5dfb6e

Linda

[Ladewig]

Oh, you mean they aren't just bats:)t loony?


I think this comment is a bit wide ranging. Some people who believe they have lived past lives are just mistaken. Not having a knack for applying critical thinking to all areas of one's life does not make one loony.

People who write books about their past lives are probably loony, but belief in a past lives is not always evidence of looniness.

[Moochie]

I think this comment is a bit wide ranging. Some people who believe they have lived past lives are just mistaken. Not having a knack for applying critical thinking to all areas of one's life does not make one loony.

People who write books about their past lives are probably loony, but belief in a past lives is not always evidence of looniness.

I beg to differ.

In the late 70s, my younger, more naive self participated in a local version of "Primal Therapy," run by a psychiatrist and his devotees.

My participation in that nonsense taught me what loony is.

I left when splinter groups, as well as the psychiatrist, began to delve into and believe in their "past lives."

These were otherwise smart, bright, university-educated folk.

Loonier than a banshee. All of them.

M.

[JoeTheJuggler]

Does "source-monitoring error" mean they'll believe anything anyone tells them?

[Jeff Corey]

Does "source-monitoring error" mean they'll believe anything anyone tells them?

Source monitoring error involves making mistaken attributions about the origin of memories. If I give advanced psychology students a questionnaire about psychology myths, and they answer "true" to questions such as "People use about 10 percent of their brain" I ask them where they heard that. If they say "Intro Psych", I am pretty sure they are making a source monitoring error.

[blutoski]

Yes ... but did you like the play?

No, he sat there, thinking to himself: "Please... somebody shoot me."

[blutoski]

I am not trusted to post links yet, but Scientific American website (sciam.com) with:

/article.cfm?articleid=A430214C-E7F2-99DF-3EEED6B0410A5114

covers a study by Maarten Peters of Maastricht University that shows that "people who believe they had previous lives are committing a source-monitoring error".

There are probably lots of reasons people think they've experienced past lives. This could certainly explain some of them.

But it doesn't explain why reincarnation is so abundantly held as true in certain cultures (such as Hindus in India) and contrastingly rare in others. There must be a more complex learned phenomenon here, not the least of which is a little bit of wishful thinking.

[athon]

When I was a 17th century soldier in France, I believed in past lives. I also believed in them when I was a midwife in 19th century Germany.

I don't any more, though.

Athon

[Cuddles]

But it doesn't explain why reincarnation is so abundantly held as true in certain cultures (such as Hindus in India) and contrastingly rare in others. There must be a more complex learned phenomenon here, not the least of which is a little bit of wishful thinking.

I think that is just down to chance really. People have always feared death to some extent, and religions try to give an answer to that fear. Some of them went with reincarnation and some went with an enternal afterlife. Which one you believe just depends on which culture you happened to be born into. I can't think of a religion that doesn't have something happening after you die.

[sophia8]

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WD0-4JKRTR0-1&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2007&_rdoc=15&_fmt=full&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%236752%232007%23999839998%23639312%23F LA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=6752&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=18&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=6cf5b7d9a2a0504230b43ee48d5dfb6e

LindaThanks for that Linda - mucho appreciated.

[Ladewig]

No, he sat there, thinking to himself: "Please... somebody shoot me."

Oh my God! "The Secret" is true!

[Moochie]

I think that is just down to chance really. People have always feared death to some extent, and religions try to give an answer to that fear. Some of them went with reincarnation and some went with an enternal afterlife. Which one you believe just depends on which culture you happened to be born into. I can't think of a religion that doesn't have something happening after you die.

Well, it's the f%$&ing carrot, isn't it? They have bugger all else to offer.

M.