Obviously TJ you're an extremely intelligent individual. Research Engineer? Geez, in a battle of wits with you I'm an unarmed man. (I do speak a little Spanish though..lol)

So maybe I can put your mind to work in helping me figure this all out. Seems I'm surrounded by people with psychosis issues. My brother-in-law informed me he is, in fact, the reincarnation of St. Peter. --could be worse. (At least he's not Jesus I guess.) But anyway, he's absolutely convinced the Government is putting spyware on his computer every time it goes on the glitch. The careflight hospital helicopter is flying over to watch him, etc.. The whirring of my ceiling fan is actually a frequency sound 'brainwasher'..(or something like that) No amount of talking to him, or evidence would ever convince him otherwise. He spends most of his waking hours obsessing on reasons why this is all true. What would you tell someone like this?

Check out the Politics forum. We have people who believe Illuminati are really reptilian aliens and every single thing imaginable, from dates to pictures on money are all part of some gigantic evil scheme.

What can you say to someone when you see they're living their lives drowning in suspicion and fear for no real reason whatsoever? It reminds me of when I was a kid, hiding under the covers at night, horrified of the imaginary monsters. I can understand how tormented they must be and it bothers me that there's nothing I can say to convince them to pull the covers back, face the darkness, and realize what they're afraid of just isn't there.

You've probably got an IQ like a phone number and there's no way in hell my meager little brain is going to be able to 'out reason' you on such matters. I'm foolish for even trying but it's tough for me to stand by and watch a life turn into a trainwreck when it's so unnecessary.

You're a scientist, right? Couldn't you apply Occam's Razor, or some sort of scientific logic to your beliefs to test their validity? Doesn't your research training demand that you question, and requestion your own conclusions?