Mrs Keech.

Mrs Keech was queen of the compelling explanation. I'm surprised that her story hasn't been made into a film or stage play! Whilst at the same time her story is so familiar to us all, it might be considered cruel or insensitive to display exactly how mad we can all be.

Leon Festinger studied Mrs Keech and her group to understand how disconfirmation affected her, and her group of believers.

He was aware that empirical evidence absolutely does not shift a compelling belief! But he wondered what disconfirmation would do to the compelling explanation.

His study of what happens next after nothing happens (instead of the great event) is fascinating.

And informative!

Because the therapist had a compelling explanation about therapy that conflicted with mine and I'd expected him to be interested in the difference! I was interested in his version, primarily because it said a lot about him, and because it was compelling - like an advert, or the words of a car salesman. 

It was important to me to understand what he believed incase I was wrong and he, more right. I was walking between opposing worlds - something I love doing!

Anyway, back to Mrs Keech. 

It looks like a compelling explanation is born from, and transmitted through an energetic belief. The end of the world and salvation for true believers is pretty powerful stuff, or was! And the compelling belief underpinning the required behaviour creates a division, an 'us and them'. 

Also it demands unusual behaviour...

So, in Mrs Keech's universe we have a mechanism that terrifies (a narrative of doom and UFOs!) and the promise of security. It separates  believers from non believers, dividing freinds and families. It requires unusual behaviour, habitus, to further differentiate levels within the group...

And it is resistant to alternative explanations.

Empirical evidence does not phase the true believer. Any evidence that contradicts the energetic, exciting, terrifying narrative is woven in and becomes evidence of how much harder everyone must try if they really want salvation. Or, the absence of the catastrophic event predicted, becomes proof that the group has worked hard enough to delay the disaster!

The therapist wasn't inclined to question his own beliefs it seems, because they had provided him with a satisfying profession, a profession that had required effort and commitment.

His compelling explanation seemed to fit the world as he experienced it, and he was a member of a group of other convinced persons.

And I think that usually his energy, his ability to proselyte and persuade, is compelling to others.  I fell for the performer but not the performance.

All in all it seems that compelling explanations create cults, and cultish behaviour. Centered on self  preservation // self transformation, and the promise of a Great Revelation. The question, how do we know, isn't significant when a compelling explanation has taken hold...

But I enjoy the question..so there will be more meandering around this subject in subsequent posts!