Legends Over Reality: Top 5 Longest Human Lifespan

#1 Methuselah with 969 years
#2 Jeanne Calment, 122 years
#3 Sarah Knauss, 119 years
#4 Lucy Hannah, 117 years
#5 Marie-Louise Meilleur, 117 years

I also have to mention Shigechiyo Izumi with 105 years (1881-1986)
At first it was claimed that he was born in 1865, putting him second to Jeanne Calment. But in 1987 the Department of Epidemiology at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology reported that Izumi actually was 105 years old.

Psychology of Belief, Part 10: Summary and Conclusions

Let's face it. We could make 10 hours worth of this stuff, but hopefully the point has been made. All religious faiths, without exception, are empirically unjustified. They exist only because human beings are prone to psychological manipulation and cognitive bias. Not only have we conclusively debunked every serious argument for God's existence from a rational standpoint, but we are reaching the point where we can experimentally model the very reasons why people find these arguments compelling in the first place.

Psychology of Belief Part 9: Agenticity

Answering the question of why people keep seeing "God" in perfectly natural phenomena.

Note that the second experiment was intended to be given to children. The bit with the pencil and the tiger is even verbatim with the actual experimental procedure. So if it seems a little condescending, then understand that it was designed for a five-year-old.

Psychology of Belief Part 8: Need for Closure

Have you ever wondered why people are so prone to "God of the Gaps" thinking?

Here's how it works:

Religious belief is highly correlated with need for cognitive closure. Need for closure is then highly correlated with a propensity for primacy. This means whenever a question comes up that begs for an answer, the natural tendency for such people is to latch on to whatever answer comes along first to fill in the ambiguity. Since "God did it" is such a classic answer to so many deep questions about the universe itself, many people cannot help but use this answer to fill in their questions.

So what's the solution?

Unless you are an expert in whatever cosmic issue is being questioned, learn to feel happy with telling people "I don't know, and neither do you." Even this response can fill the need for closure, but now we're at least being honest. We also leave ourselves much more open to learning the real answer when it is finally presented with honest, academic discipline.

Psychology of Belief, Part 7: Projection

Have you ever wondered why creationist Christians love to call atheism and evolution "faith-based religions?" Well, as it turns out, Sigmund Freud was right. Classical psychological projection is a defense mechanism whereby people deny their own faults by perceiving them in other people. Projecting their own blind faith onto critics is therefore just a tool believers use to avoid recognizing those very same faults within themselves.

Psychology of Belief, Part 6: Hallucinations

Hearing voices: It's not just for schizophrenics any more!

Hallucination is a relatively common phenomenon. Virtually all of us will, at one point or another, experience sensory perceptions generated entirely out of our own minds. Sadly, some people are more prone to this than others, and it is entirely within reason that every spiritual experience in human history is attributable to auditory, visual, and tactile hallucinations.

Anywhere between 1-2 % of the human population hears voices on a regular basis. Sometimes the voices say encouraging things. Sometimes the voices are derogatory and vicious. Other times they speak nonsense. Occasionally they are even capable of full conversations.

Sometimes the voices are audible. Sometimes they are like loud thoughts. Other times they are like severe, intrusive urges.

Sometimes the voices are a blessing in the life of the hearer. Other times the voices are a nuisance. Some people cope by taking drugs. Others cope by asserting dominance with the voices. Some have even developed bizarre coping mechanisms like having "voice time" or simply repeating everything the voices say back at them.

In short, if you think you have heard the voice of God. You probably have not.

Psychology of Belief, Part 5: Compliance Techniques

Which is more likely? That missionaries generate converts through the power of holy inspiration? Or that missionaries are really clever marketers?

EDIT: Ray's method here is probably more than just a foot-in-the-door effect. You will also notice a few "door-in-the-face" questions as well. These are designed to elicit an immediate rejection, followed by a lesser concession. See reference #4 at the end for an experimental demonstration of this effect.