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Richard Bentall is a clinical psychologist, researcher and author widely known for his pioneering studies on schizophrenia, psychosis and bipolar disorder.
In this talk, Professor Bentall will draw together evidence from a wide range of sources to sketch out an account of belief that contrasts mundane beliefs with belief systems, such as conspiracy theories, religious beliefs, supernatural beliefs, and political ideologies.
Using research comparing delusional beliefs with religious and political beliefs, he will highlight ways in which they have common characteristics but also a neglected feature that makes delusions different - they are not shared with other people.
This insight shifts our focus away from the cognitive processes involved in believing and towards the way that beliefs are usually created by groups of people and then shared within populations, sometimes with disastrous consequences.
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