Episode 9 - Psychology of Spirituality and Religion

Forward: I present incorrect information during this episode regarding jumping spiders and their vision.  I incorrectly state that jumping spiders move their brains to focus their vision, when in actuality they move telescopic-like tubes connected to their static lenses within what would be their brain cavity.  For an excellent video illustrating this incredible process, see: https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2015/08/13/see-a-jumping-spiders-eyes-move-in-its-head/  Other perspectives we cover in this episode are whether cults are still cults if they are actually correct in their teachings, we begin a discussion on what is truth, we explore consciousness, the brain as a heuristic device for consciousness, and whether physical organizational principles can have measurable effects on people's well-beings, among other things.  We get pretty deep, and I am excited to revisit this topic at some point in the future.  Hope you all enjoy!  

Kristy Bohan is a cofounder and contributor to The Cognitive Dissonance Podcast. Kristy received her BS in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry in 2018, and an MS in Psychology in 2020 and began working on her certification in Behavior Analysis. She hopes to be board certified in early 2022 where she will continue to service clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder as a behavior consultant in Oregon. Kristy takes a behavior analytic perspective to life and uses this philosophy to inform her work and her day to day life. Kristy believes in psychology as a hard, natural science.

Mitchell Croot is one of the founders and contributors to The Cognitive Dissonance Podcast. A father of four, a US Army veteran, and a high school educator, Mitchell holds a BA in History with a minor in Secondary Education from Catawba College and an MA in History from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. His interests include colonial North America, the American Revolution, culture and cultural transmission, philosophy, psychology, and music.