When Prophecy FailsIn 1954 Leon Festinger, a brilliant young experimental social psychologist in the process of inventing a new theory of human behavior - the theory of cognitive dissonance - and two of his colleagues, Henry Riecken and Stanley Schachter, infiltrated a cult who believed the end of the world was only months away. How would these people feel when their prophecy remained unfulfilled? Would they admit the error of their prediction, or would they, as Festinger predicted, readjust their reality to make sense of the new circumstances? Not only is When Prophecy Fails of great historical importance as the first test of a powerful theory, but it is also a surprisingly touching account of what happens to ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances. |
Contents
Foreword by the authors | 1 |
Teachings and prophecies from outer space | 35 |
Spreading the word on earth | 60 |
Copyright | |
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activities afternoon appeared Armstrong house Arthur Bergen asked attended began belief system Bertha Blatsky Bob Eastman boys called callers cataclysm Christmas Cleo Armstrong Clyde Wilton Collegeville committed conviction convinced Creator Daisy Armstrong December 17 December 21 dianetics discussion dissonance doubt early earth Edna Post Elliot Aronson evidence felt flood Flying Saucer Club Guardians happened hour instructed interest interview invitation Keech and Dr Keech received Kitty O'Donnell Kurt Freund Lake City group Leon Festinger lessons living room Lowell Marian Keech Mark Post meeting ment midnight Millerites morning movement NEWSMAN newspaper night Oahspe observers occur orders outer space person picked planet prediction prophecy proselyting questions reporters returned Sabbatai Zevi Seekers seemed sibets skeptical spacemen spiritual STANLEY MILGRAM Steel City story talk tape telephone tell things Thomas Armstrong tion told visitors waiting William Dudley Pelley