The Psychology of Dogmatic Beliefs and Delusions Monday, April 11, 2022 6:45 PM check-in. 7 PM program. Virtual meeting registration at bit.ly/hffcDogma “The psychology of dogmatic beliefs and delusions” will be the topic addressed by neuroscientist Mark Reimers at an event hosted by Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (HFFC) at a free online meeting. Register at bit.ly/hffcDogma to get the link to the 7 pm April 11 virtual meeting which is open to all at no charge. Recent events have highlighted the power of dogmatic delusions and conspiracy theories. How do people become entangled in such beliefs? This question has long been the province of novelists, but more recently psychologists and other social scientists have applied the tools of their disciplines to this vexing question. This talk will survey their findings so far about the psychological and social factors that lead people to double down on dogmas and delusions. We will discuss the personality characteristics and life history that incline people to rigid beliefs. We'll consider the everyday personal delusions that most of us hold. We'll discuss the social process of converting and committing to a shared delusion. Finally we'll consider the psychology of reasoning and what makes people amenable to changing their minds. Dr. Mark Reimers is a neuroscientist and humanist scholar. He studies brain function by comparing large-scale recordings of brain activity with details of behavior. He applies these methods to understand normal brain function and to shed light on mental illness. Dr. Reimers has worked at the US National Institutes of Health, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and at the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics in Richmond, and now does research and teaches at Michigan State University. His broader aim is to ground our understanding of feeling and thought in the facts of biology. Dr. Reimers was the leader of the Richmond Humanists in Virginia for five years, and now leads the UU Forum in Lansing, and speaks frequently at humanist and science outreach events in Michigan. The Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County, Connecticut (HFFC), espouses reason and compassion, and seeks to promote humanism and free thought in our community. It holds general meetings, film events, book discussions, solstice celebrations, charitable activities, and science roundtables. Learn more at hffcct.org