ABC says conspiracy web sites are contributing to mental health issues

Yeah well in soviet russia anyone who was not a loyal communist had "mental illness" and was treated by the psychiatrist.

reply to post by angel of lightangelo

Originally posted by Yuriko Oyama
I will admit that I'm paranoid. I think the gov't is out to get us... etc.

Originally posted by ziggystar60

Reality bites

Joel and Ian Gold, brothers and psychiatrists from Montreal, believe they have discovered a signature mental illness of the YouTube era: patients who claim they are subjects of their own reality TV shows.
They have named the malady the "Truman Show Delusion," and though they are in the process of putting together a medical paper on the topic, their discovery is already causing a stir.

Originally posted by sftprez
lately, ever since i have gotten into conspiracies, UFOs, paranormal, etc. i have been getting an intense feeling of being followed or watched. I have had people in cars just stop right in front of my house in broad daylight and stare straight up at my window for several minutes. I dont think they knew, though, that I was had caught them. I think there was a person in my tree the other day but it was night time so i couldnt see very well, but as soon as i opened my blinds, the object scrambled down the tree and disappeared. Has anyone had any similar experiences?

[edit on 12/17/08 by Yoda411]

reply to post by Yoda411


My god dude what the hell is wrong with you??????????? Not one of those shows any proof, evidence, or example of how conspiracy websites contribute to mental illness. What you have is people saying things. They said things like that well before conspiracy websites had a web to be on.

Are you pretending to not understand me on purpose? Stop tossing things at the wall and hoping one will stick. You are infuriatingly obtuse. I ask specific questions because I am looking for a specific answer. You keep giving me this junk instead. I am going back to where I started ignoring you before.

Either show me the facts from the article, explain how lying to me is supposed to convince me to believe anything you say, or just stop posting to me.

Originally posted by Yoda411

Originally posted by angel of lightangelo

Originally posted by Yoda411
There need be no facts to spur strong opinions surrounding the matter.

ABC NEWS

News needs facts.

Was there anything in the article that was a false statement?

Ok, as long as I have been reading along here.

Was there anything in it that was true? Guy, you really are doing more damage than help for your case. You are running with theories and ideas you got from a combination of nowhere and this fake news story. The story is not true. In order to be true, it needed to have a fact. As much as angel may be a jerk to you about it, you are either going to have to admit this article was BS or let it go.

reply to post by angel of lightangelo


I posted this in the other thread, but it seems to have been overlooked.

I stated in the other thread how I suffered a brief bout of paranoia after coming to this site. Before coming here I had never had any history of paranoia. The actual events occurred earlier this year when I had been on this site for a few months. The first time I was walking back from a friend's house to my dorm when a car stopped near me. For some reason the only thought I had was that these were government agents after me. I sprinted the rest of the way to my dorm and ended up sleeping with a screwdriver under my pillow. The second time something similar happened. I was walking home from my friend's house again and a car stopped near me and once again assumed it was government agents. I sprinted to the nearest tree and hid in it for about an hour. At which point I ran up a hill and ended up sleeping in another dorm because I was certain they were waiting for me in my room. While I don't have any hard proof to say that these bouts were brought on by my time spent on ATS, I believe strongly that it was the cause for my delusions. In fact after this second occurrence I took a break from the site for a while and the delusions, as well as some anxiety and stress I was feeling disappeared.

Furthermore I would just like to point out that just because no studies have been released pertaining to what the article says does not mean it's false. Many of Jung's theories were never empirically tested until recently and yet the results are coming back showing that he was right in many of his observations. So, just because there is no data to back up what these experts are saying does not mean one cannot simply observe these websites and see a higher proportion of delusional people than would be expected.

Originally posted by Iblis Smiley
Ok, as long as I have been reading along here.

Was there anything in it that was true? Guy, you really are doing more damage than help for your case. You are running with theories and ideas you got from a combination of nowhere and this fake news story. The story is not true. In order to be true, it needed to have a fact. As much as angel may be a jerk to you about it, you are either going to have to admit this article was BS or let it go.

Yes, there were many things in the article that were true. They factually represented David Icke's theories. They factually defined where a delusion forms out of one seeking answers for his unknown feelings. They also factually identified that this article leaves psychiatrists with serious questions such as where to draw the line between delusion and conspiracy theory.

They also did not conclude on the fact that "conspiracy web sites contribute to mental illness'". No false statements were made in the article.

reply to post by Iblis Smiley


To admit that it's BS means that there is no support for it whatsoever. The theory it proposes is very sound. Just because it doesn't have any data to back it up doesn't mean that one cannot observe the things they talk about. One simply needs to look at the links Yoda posted. In all of those cases people are displaying delusions based off of things they have read on this site. Clearly those delusions would have manifested in a different way if they had not visited this site and thus one can conclude that this site has contributed to the manifestation of their delusions. Furthermore, this article simply does what we do everyday. It proposes a theory. One that I believe has more support than many of the other theories that are proposed here everyday. So why then are you holding it to a higher standard than the theories that you read on here and believe?

Originally posted by Xcalibur254
Furthermore I would just like to point out that just because no studies have been released pertaining to what the article says does not mean it's false. Many of Jung's theories were never empirically tested until recently and yet the results are coming back showing that he was right in many of his observations. So, just because there is no data to back up what these experts are saying does not mean one cannot simply observe these websites and see a higher proportion of delusional people than would be expected.

I read it. What of it? So if one person hypothesizes and happens to be right in the end, all hypothesis are correct? Eh...you using Yoda's logic?

It was a news story with no facts.

It is not even worth discussing outside of that.

Originally posted by Yoda411
Yes, there were many things in the article that were true. They factually represented David Icke's theories. They factually defined where a delusion forms out of one seeking answers for his unknown feelings. They also factually identified that this article leaves psychiatrists with serious questions such as where to draw the line between delusion and conspiracy theory.

They also did not conclude on the fact that "conspiracy web sites contribute to mental illness'". No false statements were made in the article.

Hey, princess. I am not angel, do not condescend to me as if I did not read it. Are you really truly this slow in the head? Is that even possible and you can still type? They were correct that david icke talks about lizards. That is not a fact about conspiracy sites contributing to mental illness. The next fact you offer up is the fact that they have questions? Are you serious? I am all done with this nonsense.

Originally posted by angel of lightangelo
I read it. What of it? So if one person hypothesizes and happens to be right in the end, all hypothesis are correct?

No. His point is that neither opinion yours, nor mine, can be consistently proven true or false. Instead it is currently a hypothesis that could potentially someday be scientifically proven true or false in determining whether or not they contribute to mental health issues.

Originally posted by Xcalibur254
reply to post by Iblis Smiley

 

To admit that it's BS means that there is no support for it whatsoever. The theory it proposes is very sound. Just because it doesn't have any data to back it up doesn't mean that one cannot observe the things they talk about.

Just because there is no proof or examples or even observable data does not make it true? That makes sense. Want to buy my bigfoot corpse? I have it in a freezer in the back.

the point is hardly weather the story was factual or not in some respects, what the heck are you guys arguing about. mixing up factoids and speculation isn't any more honest than pure speculation.

the very fact that they suggest that icke is typical of conspiracy theorists is indicative of the fact that this piece is pure spin.

Originally posted by Iblis Smiley

Originally posted by Yoda411
Yes, there were many things in the article that were true. They factually represented David Icke's theories. They factually defined where a delusion forms out of one seeking answers for his unknown feelings. They also factually identified that this article leaves psychiatrists with serious questions such as where to draw the line between delusion and conspiracy theory.

They also did not conclude on the fact that "conspiracy web sites contribute to mental illness'". No false statements were made in the article.

Hey, princess. I am not angel, do not condescend to me as if I did not read it. Are you really truly this slow in the head? Is that even possible and you can still type? They were correct that david icke talks about lizards. That is not a fact about conspiracy sites contributing to mental illness. The next fact you offer up is the fact that they have questions? Are you serious? I am all done with this nonsense.

Can you show me the part of the article which states definitively conspiracy web sites are contributing to mental health issues?

Originally posted by Yoda411
No. His point is that neither opinion yours, nor mine, can be consistently proven true or false. Instead it is currently a hypothesis that could potentially someday be scientifically proven true or false in determining whether or not they contribute to mental health issues.

I am glad you are here to speak for him. I hope he thanks you for that. So you are openly claiming that something that cannot be proven true or false is also factual?

Care to show me one fact from the article?

Getting sick of this question yet? I am getting sick of dismissing what you consider facts over and over and over and over and over and over and over......

Originally posted by angel of lightangelo
Care to show me one fact from the article?

Getting sick of this question yet? I am getting sick of dismissing what you consider facts over and over and over and over and over and over and over......

When I showed you facts in the thread The coming attack on ATS by MSM, you clearly did not understand the definition of facts.

What exactly are you saying that I am trying to prove is true? I have stated repeatedly it is in my own opinion that conspiracy theory websites promote paranoia and delusion. I then supported my opinion with analysis of previous threads on this specific conspiracy theory website.

[edit on 12/17/08 by Yoda411]

Originally posted by Yoda411
When I showed you facts in the thread The coming attack on ATS by MSM, you clearly did not understand the definition of facts.

Please define facts for me then. I was using the definition things that have been proven beyond all doubt to be true. What are you going with cuz it is something else altogether.

What exactly are you saying that I am trying to prove is true? I have stated repeatedly it is in my own opinion that conspiracy theory websites promote paranoia and delusion. I then supported my opinion with analysis of previous threads on this specific conspiracy theory website.

and I have stated repeatedly that your idea is based on ignorance (lack of knowledge) and a fake story. I have also stated how concerning it is that a fake news story can get people up and running with this theory so easily.

You have not shown facts. Not one. You figure out what a fact is and get back to me then. Facts are not "it is a fact that scientists are not sure." Idiot.

Originally posted by angel of lightangelo
You have not shown facts. Not one. You figure out what a fact is and get back to me then. Facts are not "it is a fact that scientists are not sure." Idiot.

Unfortunately for you, they teach this concept to grade school kids. These grade school kids, who are 9 years old and less, have a better grasp on factual statements versus opinions than you have shown to have.

There is no reason why, "Scientists are not sure..." cannot be a fact.

You asked for facts within the article, and when you received them your rebuttal was merely that they were not facts. I suggest you have another look.

You additionally asked for evidence that ATS makes individuals paranoid, of which I provided several that support my personal opinion. Your rebuttal for this was that they were not evidence.

[edit on 12/17/08 by Yoda411]

I am going to leave now before I catch ignorance. The fact is that all this is over a story on the news that had no facts in it. That is not the news. That is not journalism. It is propaganda and nothing more. But people are buying that. Anyone bothered by the news telling stories with no journalism in them then here is the thread i did not want to advertise. I do not like putting my own thread up in another thread but I am more concerned about the actual premise that started all this than the ridiculous story it is trying to tell.

Originally posted by Yoda411
There is no reason why, "Scientists are not sure..." cannot be a fact.

Oh, I think I wet myself. Thanks for that beautiful send off. Have fun here believing that is even a little true.

Yes, yes it is a fact. It is a fact that scientists have no facts. Amazing argument. you win.



edit to remove way too many animated circles in a row.

[edit on 17-12-2008 by angel of lightangelo]

reply to post by angel of lightangelo


The reason this argument continued on for days is because you never fully grasped my point of view. Instead, you never read the article, ignored my evidence, and ignored the facts of the article - dismissing them as "not facts".

For anyone wishing to continue this discussion, and has been seeking factual evidence to support the claim that "conspiracy web sites are contributing to mental health issues", I will re-post this best possible evidence which has been ignorantly overlooked by my opposition.

Originally posted by Yuriko Oyama
I will admit that I'm paranoid. I think the gov't is out to get us... etc.

Originally posted by ziggystar60

Reality bites

Joel and Ian Gold, brothers and psychiatrists from Montreal, believe they have discovered a signature mental illness of the YouTube era: patients who claim they are subjects of their own reality TV shows.
They have named the malady the "Truman Show Delusion," and though they are in the process of putting together a medical paper on the topic, their discovery is already causing a stir.

Originally posted by sftprez
lately, ever since i have gotten into conspiracies, UFOs, paranormal, etc. i have been getting an intense feeling of being followed or watched. I have had people in cars just stop right in front of my house in broad daylight and stare straight up at my window for several minutes. I dont think they knew, though, that I was had caught them. I think there was a person in my tree the other day but it was night time so i couldnt see very well, but as soon as i opened my blinds, the object scrambled down the tree and disappeared. Has anyone had any similar experiences?

[edit on 12/17/08 by Yoda411]

[edit on 12/17/08 by Yoda411]