Creating Alternative Reality: A Case Study.

Abstract

The sense of reality that underlie political beliefs are created through a group process that emerges from the intersection of the psyches of leaders and followers. An alternative reality is constructed by the demagogue's assertions which express or channel unconscious needs. Antecedents of the contemporary American situation are evident in earlier populist and Fascist movements, the hallmark of which were an attack on all "truth" except that which reflects the power of the leader. Faults in the social field and demagogic techniques lead to alternative narratives and "facts" that are maintained with fervor. Reality is characterized by a lack of complexity or ambiguity. Emotional investment is intensified by primitive needs of the self. Cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias guarantee a resistance to reflection. Evidence and logic give way to wish, loyalty and power as the criteria for truth. Ultimately a clash of realities results in complex social trauma.