Definitions by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal

Conspiraciomania

A neurocentric version of conspiracification, where belief in any hidden coordination or institutional malfeasance is reduced to a brain disorder: faulty pattern recognition, hyperactive dopamine, or delusional cognition. Conspiraciomania is common in neuromania circles and pop‑evolutionary psychology. It treats whistleblowers as mentally ill, journalists as suffering from “apophenia,” and entire critical traditions as symptoms of neural dysfunction. Critics argue it is a form of biological reductionism that ignores real conspiracies (the Iran‑Contra affair, tobacco industry cover‑ups). By pathologizing the critic, conspiraciomania immunizes power from scrutiny.

Conspiraciomania Example: “The conspiracomaniac explained every Watergate conspiracy theory as ‘dopamine‑driven delusional ideation.’ He conveniently forgot that Watergate was real.”

Conspiraciomania by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 5, 2026

Newageomania

A neurocentric version of newagefication, where New Age beliefs are explained as brain dysfunctions (dopamine, serotonin, faulty heuristics). Newageomania reduces complex spiritual systems to neural noise, ignoring the intellectual content, social function, and personal meaning. It is popular in neuromania blogs and reductionist atheist forums. Critics argue it is a form of intellectual laziness: instead of engaging with ideas, one diagnoses the believer as brain‑damaged. It is the ultimate ad hominem: you are not wrong, you are sick.

Newageomania Example: “The newageomaniac said ‘your belief in chakras is just your anterior cingulate misfiring.’ He offered no argument, only a pseudo‑neurological dismissal.”

Newageomania by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 5, 2026

Newagefication

The act of explaining literally any spiritual, holistic, or alternative practice as “New Age movement,” regardless of its actual origins, age, or tradition. Newagefication lumps together ancient indigenous healing, classical yoga, Ayurveda, Western esotericism, and contemporary mindfulness under a dismissive label. It is common in hard‑narrow skeptic communities. Critics argue it is a form of historical illiteracy and cultural insensitivity, erasing the distinctiveness of non‑Western traditions.

Newagefication Example: “He newagefied her practice of Zen meditation as ‘New Age fluff,’ ignoring 1,500 years of Buddhist history. His label was a substitute for knowledge.”

Newagefication by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 5, 2026

Placebomania

A neurocentric version of placebo reduction, where the placebo effect is reduced entirely to brain chemistry (dopamine, endorphins, expectation circuits) and used to dismiss any non‑pharmaceutical intervention. Placebomania ignores that placebo responses are complex, involve social context, meaning, and the therapeutic relationship. It also ignores that placebo research itself shows real brain changes; the response is real, not fake. Critics call it reductionist dogma.

Placebomania Example: “The placebomaniac said ‘your meditation doesn’t work; it’s just endogenous opioids.’ He missed the point: the reduction doesn’t erase the experience of relief or the practice’s value.”

Placebomania by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 5, 2026

Placebification

The act of explaining any positive effect from non‑conventional treatments (acupuncture, meditation, prayer, herbalism) as “just placebo.” Common in hard‑narrow scientism and anti‑pseudoscience activism. Placebification dismisses both patient reports and physiological measurements that show real effects (e.g., acupuncture for pain). It treats placebo as a dismissive label, ignoring that placebo effects are genuine, clinically relevant, and deserve study. It also ignores that many approved drugs have small effect sizes above placebo.

Placebification Example: “She experienced pain relief from acupuncture; he placebified it as ‘just placebo, so it doesn’t count.’ He didn’t realize that placebo is a real, measurable, ethical treatment response.”

Placebification by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 5, 2026

Pareidoliomania

A neurocentric version of pareidolification, treating facial recognition and form perception as mere neural misfires (fusiform gyrus overactivity, Bayesian priors). Pareidoliomania reduces all visual meaning‑making to brain glitches, ignoring that pareidolia is also the basis of normal face recognition, art appreciation, and reading. Critics argue it pathologizes a fundamental cognitive capacity. It is a form of reductionist one‑upmanship.

Pareidoliomania Example: “The pareidoliomaniac claimed that seeing a human face in a portrait is ‘just your fusiform gyrus firing.’ He forgot that same firing enables him to recognize his mother.”

Pareidoliomania by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 5, 2026

Pareidolification

The act of explaining any perception of meaningful forms (faces in clouds, images in Rorschach tests, religious icons) as pareidolia—a tendency to see patterns where none exist. Common in online skeptic communities, where any visual interpretation beyond literal description is dismissed as a brain glitch. Pareidolification ignores that many such perceptions are culturally shaped and meaningful, not just errors. It also denies the reality of ambiguous figures and the constructive nature of perception.

Pareidolification Example: “She saw the Virgin Mary in a tortilla; the parodifier said ‘just pareidolia, nothing to see.’ He missed the cultural, emotional, and social reality of a miraculous icon for millions.”

Pareidolification by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 5, 2026