School of Humanities | Sgoil nan Daonnachdan

A University of Glasgow philosopher, Professor Fiona Macpherson, is part of a UK‑wide interdisciplinary team working on a £1.2M UKRI‑funded project titled Exploring the Grey Zone: A Biopsychosocial Approach to Religious Delusions and Conspiracy Beliefs. 

 

The project, led by Professor Joseph Webster at the University of Cambridge, brings together researchers from anthropology, philosophy, psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience across several UK institutions, including Cambridge, Oxford and Oxford Brookes, alongside three postdoctoral researchers.

 

The team will investigate the “grey zone” between delusional and non‑delusional beliefs, using innovative interview methods to explore how cultural contexts shape experiences and belief formation.

 

Professor Macpherson, UofG's Professor of Philosophy and the Director of the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience said: “I’m delighted to be part of this interdisciplinary project exploring the boundary between delusions and other beliefs.

 

"By examining how cultural context shapes belief, the research will deepen our understanding of how people form and sustain deeply held views, while also advancing debates about the nature of belief and rationality and contributing to improved clinical understanding of experiences that fall within this ‘grey zone’.”