Amir Raz, a cognitive psychologist and author of "The Suggestible Brain," explores how suggestions shape behavior, beliefs, and memory. He discusses the evolutionary benefits of suggestibility and its potential downsides, using examples from hypnosis and authority experiments, like Milgram's. Raz highlights the power of expectation on perception and how understanding suggestion can enhance mental resilience. He also connects magic with psychology, revealing how both fields share insights into human cognition and belief systems.
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Spoon Bending Bewilderment
Amir Raz bent a scientist's spoon without touching it, highlighting the scientist's struggle to grasp the illusion.
Even when told it was an illusion, the scientist couldn't comprehend how it occurred, demonstrating the power of bewilderment.
insights INSIGHT
Suggestibility Defined
Suggestibility is a person's responsiveness to suggestions, influenced by various factors.
It's quantifiable and domain-specific, with some highly suggestible in certain areas but not others.
insights INSIGHT
Domain-Specific Gullibility
People are generally rational in most life domains, managing jobs, families, and daily routines effectively.
Gullibility arises in specific areas due to factors like social proof and trust in experts, not inherent irrationality.
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Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland
Christopher R. Browning
This book by Christopher R. Browning examines the actions of Reserve Police Battalion 101, a unit of the German Order Police, during World War II. The battalion was responsible for mass shootings and round-ups of Jewish people for deportation to Nazi death camps in Poland in 1942. Browning argues that the men of this unit were not fanatical Nazis but ordinary middle-aged, working-class men who committed these atrocities due to group dynamics of conformity, deference to authority, role adaptation, and the altering of moral norms. The book is based on postwar interrogations of former members of the battalion and provides a detailed and chilling glimpse into how ordinary men were transformed into active participants in the Holocaust.
The Suggestible Brain
The Suggestible Brain
The Science and Magic of How We Make Up Our Minds
Amir Raz
The Suggestible Brain uncovers the science behind suggestion and its profound impact on our minds. Dr. Amir Raz discusses how suggestion can influence various aspects of our lives, from treating conditions like depression and high blood pressure to understanding the broader implications in the age of technology and AI. The book provides insights into how our brains make up our minds and the critical role of suggestibility in shaping our experiences and behaviors.
In The Suggestible Brain, cognitive psychologist Amir Raz delves into how suggestions can influence everything from wine preferences to memory and emotional reactions. As society grapples with misinformation, Raz’s research spans across cognitive psychology, sociology, and culture, emphasizing the profound impact of suggestion on both personal and collective levels. Raz’s expertise, merging magic with neuropsychology, unveils actionable insights for utilizing suggestion to enhance mental resilience and defend against manipulation.
Dr. Raz’s career includes roles as Canada Research Chair and Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences. A speaker and author, his insights on suggestion have been widely recognized by media and academic audiences. His work, grounded in extensive research and engaging storytelling, highlights the interconnectedness of suggestion with consciousness, memory, and identity.
Shermer and Raz discuss: the evolutionary basis of suggestibility, how brain imaging captures the power of suggestion, and the psychology behind hypnosis, meditation, and placebos. They discuss historical influences like Milgram’s obedience studies and explore suggestibility’s role in social contagions and cults. Raz also shares insights on psychedelics, neurofeedback, and using suggestion to manage conditions like ADHD, depression, and anxiety.
The Michael Shermer Show 