While I agree with most of what you say and find it interesting, I think you are pessimistic about this paragraph.
We are the age of the scientific dictatorship in many ways. These social science models can be used for social engineering and manipulation of consciousness towards political agendas. I always appreciate more discovery in knowledge of ourselves, but it's a bit alarming when the scientists seem to lack a certain level of *integrity and fidelity to truth instead of appeasing a political ideology. At least that's how their message comes off to me.
Everybody, regardless of good or bad intentions needs to know this. You believe it to be about social engineering and manipulation. But the idea would be to get people of all beliefs to look at rationally what is right before them.
The problem is, you state this can be used for social engineering or manipulation, but it can also be used for making people wake up. Realizing that their beliefs are not reality, they are thoughts and opinions that can affect the real world and those around them
It goes back to the cave analogy that Plato and Socrates came up with years ago. The idea that people who are stuck in a cave and the cave is all they know, they will only accept what's in the cave, not the world outside the cave.
This has been an issue for thousands of years, and I think it's something 100% worth looking into. The ignorance of people will be our downfall if we continue to allow those that will use that ignorance to further entrench ignorant and false beliefs into the populace.
How is this to be fixed? What can we do that no people have done for thousands of years.
The internet could help, but it's currently making it worse.
Whats the answer??? I think the answer has to be these studies, these scientific philosophers asking the questions of how to get people to wake up and see reality, instead of hiding in their cave and believing they are safe from the storm brewing outside.
RE: Changing Our Minds is to Change Ourselves and Who We Are