Is it zealotry, fanaticism, or insanity?

Copyright 2017, InterAmerica, Inc.

Kevin Randle has opened his blog to the inmates of ufology’s “insane asylum.”

I admire Kevin. He has guts to allow crazies to inhabit his blog’s comment section.

(And like fly-paper, the crazies have attracted, some usual, right-thinking UFO buffs, such as CDA, Paul Kimball, Paul Young, et al.)

I’ve categorized the majority of those commenting at Kevin’s blog, re: the Billy Meier nonsense, as delusional.

But are they truly insane? Or are they fanatics or non-thinking zealots?

Well, many of Meier’s followers are delusional, that’s certain, so their thought processes border on psychosis, but can I soften that epithetical accusation by allowing that they may only be wild-eyed zealots or raving fanatics?

The Psychiatric Dictionary [Hinsie/Campbell, Fourth Edition, Oxford University Press] defines fanaticism as:

“Excessive, unreasonable zeal on any subject, such as religion; fanaticism, like litigiousness, is extremely frequent in paranoids, whose zealotry in the espousing of causes may approach the delusional.” [Page 204]

But that definition applies to almost all UFO aficionados and UFO skeptics too.

The Oxford Dictionary [Third New Desk Edition, Berkley Books, NY] defines zealot and/or zealotry as:

“… extremist, radical, bigot, militant.” [Page 978]

So I don’t think “zealotry” specifically applies, although extremist is in evidence.

Now we come to delusional or psychotic thinking.

Delusional thought has been covered extensively here (at this blog) with citations from the Psychiatric Dictionary, Thomas Szasz, Andrew Scull, Michel Foucault, et al.

Delusion is delineated splendidly at Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delusion

Delusion and delusional applies to the Billy Meier sycophants, there is no reasonable doubt of that; Meier’s followers adhere to his irrational “hoax” in ways that mimic how the German peoples became intoxicated by Adolf Hitler’s “insane” thinking and horrendous activities.

Yet, Meier’s bizarre, ongoing deception is basically harmless, causing only a ripple in the fringe segment of society.

That so much copy, mine included, is being spent on this “fraudulent” UFO concoction is one more sad commentary on the state of ufology, past and present.

(And if anyone thinks my effort with this post is to gather commentary here, they’d be in error. No comments from anyone in the Meier camp or those who’ve reacted to the Meier/Michel Horn onslaught at Kevin’s blog will appear here.)

RR