Cognitive dissonance, in the definition of the psychologist
Leon Festinger, is based on dissociative situations.
Humans strive for consistency, but when they have
contradictory ideas, that inconsistency produces dissonance and discomfort.
For example, the cognitive dissonant finds himself talking to
the public about something that he doesn’t believe it’s true or totally true.
As a result this individual will fight his psychological
distress avoiding situations and information which would increase the
dissonance.
In the world of the UFO industry and believers, this
avoidance explains the violent opposition to ideas and theories that contradict
what he believes or worst, what he sells.
The UFO-ET professional is in a worst situation than the
simple believer, because sooner or later he will find himself selling fictions as
facts, and knowing well what he is doing.
After some time, the self proclaimed expert will write what
sells, not what he truly believes.
This is inevitable, because publishers care about books that
sell more than books that tell the truth.
Of course there are different magnitudes of cognitive
dissonance which is aroused when people get information that is inconsistent
with their beliefs or convictions.
Even the cognitive dissonance happens when some information
is denied to the public. That’s the case when some elements are deliberately suppressed
from the text.
Consider for example, the ufologist who writes about massive
UFO sightings, but doesn’t mention that 95 % of those “massive sightings” can
be perfectly identified as natural phenomena or manmade artifacts. This suppression
of information is dishonest, and our writer of partial “truths” knows this.
In the UFO-ET and Paranormal industry it is possible to go
from a cautious suppression of information to a world of nonsense and lies.
Some cognitive dissonance victims will solve their growing discomfort
being honest with themselves and the public.
Others will go into a secret personal skepticism and a
cynical justification of his duplicity.
In its most severe forms, cognitive dissonance will
eventually become insanity or psychotic denial of the real world.
