Exploring Mind, Memory, and the Psychology of Belief The 1994
CSICOP conference, held in Seattle, Washington, June 23 to 26,
set out to explore the various ways in which our minds operate,
how our views are formed, and how our memories can be
influenced, altered, and even manufactured. Titled “The
Psychology of Belief,” this lively four-day event, attended by
more than 700 people from around the United States and abroad,
featured sessions on UFOs and alien abductions, the highly
controversial recovered-memory debate, expert testimony and
pseudoscience in the courtroom, and conspiracy theories. There
was also an unannounced visit from James Randi, who showed a
videotape of his latest adventure in Australia accompanied by
his always nimble-witted commentary. The highlight of the
conference was the keynote address by Carl Sagan, who emphasized
the need to popularize science and the potentially dangerous
consequences of a society in which scientific understanding is
in the hands of the few. (See his article in th