Humans have inhabited the Earth for thousands of years and it is perceived by many that we are among the most intellectual species on this planet. Although having lived on this planet for so long, being able to distinguish fact from fiction has escaped the minds of many. People of today’s society are easily influenced by what is told to them instead of what can be proven. Believing in something that has no scientific evidence is not only absurd but can be classified simply as ignorance. Many of the erratic ideas that are believed by many today have originated in a time where superstition was more popular than science. These beliefs appear to be proven by science, but in reality are not valid and frequently confused with true psychology, this is called pseudoscience or psuedopyschology. These beliefs remain intact for many years primarily because those who choose to believe these psuedopyschologies are the ones who try to prove that they are in fact valid, and tend to ignore the evidence that proves them wrong.
In order to properly extricate the truth from the fallacies of psuedopsychology the scientific method can be used as a tool. The scientific method is a form of critical thinking based on a careful collection of evidence, accurate description and measurement, precise definition, controlled observation, and repeatable results (Jackson, 2008). This method is composed of 6 bodies: 1. Make Observations; 2. Defining a Problem; 3. Proposing a Hypothesis; 4. Gathering evidence/Test Hypothesis; 5. Interpret/Analyze Data and Draw Conclusions; 6.Publishing Results, many scientist retest their experiment for more accurate results.
The scientific method and many other similar techniques have been used for thousands of years primarily to satisfy those who seek the truth. These techniques are great for investigating different phenomena. All procedure varies from field to field but the steps must be repeatable to predict future results and this is where psudopsychology and fact clash. Replicating the methods is tricky for those who are practicing these “psychologies” because they have to do it a certain way in order for the beliefs of everyone to remain the same.
Horoscopes and Astrology:
A man who made the practice of horoscopes and astrology susceptible to Christians allowed for these beliefs to spread throughout the world in the 1600’s was William Lilly. During his time he was seen as a great prophet, and became famous for “predicting” The Great Fire of London through one of his hieroglyphic drawings (McCann, 1990). The Great Fire of London happened on September 2, 1666 and it started out as a small fire in the bakeshop of Thomas Forger destroying about 430 acres of land including 13,000 house, 89 churches and many other buildings leaving countless homeless. This fire occurred 14 years after William Lilly predicted one, and at this time London has been prone to having fires due to its infrastructure. Most of the houses and other...
