What is “astrophysical psychology”?: It is the newly proposed field of psychology that addresses atheistastro-agnosis (defined immediately below). Astrophysical psychology involves the summation of (1) Belief Bias, (2) Cognitive Dissonance, (3) Cognitive Dissonance Theory, and (4) Denial, in the atheistic astrophysicist.

(1) Belief Bias occurs in the atheistic astrophysicist (and scientists in other genres) when they cling tenaciously to the belief that a Creator-God does not exist regardless of overwhelming evidence to the contrary of design in the cosmos. They persist in dismissing the extreme probability of such an Intelligent Designer.

Belief Bias occurs specifically in the agnostic astrophysicist when they embrace ignorance as a defense in the face of solid evidence that design is at work in the universe.

(2) Cognitive Dissonance happens in atheistic astrophysicists when they deny the existence of an Intelligent Designer, which is inconsistent with designed synchronic systemic occurrences in outer space.

(3) Cognitive Dissonance Theory occurs when the atheistic astrophysicist actively seeks to resolve the internal conflict created by observing patterns of unambiguous design in the universe but denying the reality of the Designer who made them.

(4) Denial happens in the atheistic astrophysicist when they unconsciously disregard the unpleasant reality of design in the cosmos. In extreme cases, a strategic process of purposeful ignorance may be at work to reduce emotional conflict or moderate anxiety.

What is “ATG”?: ATG is short for “atheistastroagnosis,” which is a persistent disturbance in the psyche of the atheistic astrophysicist (or scientist of any genre) when they encounter clashing conclusions and troubling contradictions in connection with evidence of purposeful design in the universe.

“Atheistastroagnosis” comes from three ancient Greek words:

(1) atheist (as a prefix in ancient Greek, a- is a negative such as “no” or “not,” and theos, θεός, is Greek for “god”; a believer in God is a “theist”);

(2) astro (Greek aster, ἀστήρ, which means “star,” but in the present context “star” represents the entire physical universe, cosmos, or heavens); and

(3) agnosis (a-, “no” or “without,” plus the Greek word for “knowledge” or “to know,” gnōseōs, γνώσεως).

What are the qualifications of the astrophysical psychologist?: To treat atheistastroagnosis, the astrophysical psychologist would possess a good knowledge of the thinking of atheistic and agnostic astrophysicists and allied professionals in related and remote fields of science and other disciplines. For example, in being an atheist or agnostic, scientists in the interdisciplinary fields of astronomy, astrophysics, atmospheric sciences, biology, chemistry, earth science, microbiology, oceanography, organic chemistry, physics, and other disciplines are all capable of experiencing atheistastroagnosis.

Specifically, knowing the historical background of astrophysics, astronomy, planetary science, exobiology, and other overlapping and cross-disciplinary fields—as well as the luminaries in these genres—is essential to training in astrophysical psychology.

The astrophysical psychologist would also have an in-depth knowledge of the Bible and a basic understanding of biblical He-brew and Greek (as well as Latin), particularly as it relates to the subjects of creation, the earth, the solar system, and the universe.

What is the primary goal of the astrophysical psychologist?: The primary goal of the astrophysical psychologist is to un-clog the cognitive pathways of atheistic and agnostic astrophysicists, thus enabling them to perform their jobs better. Meeting this goal also facilitates the execution of their responsibilities.

Foundation: Having established the definitions of astrophysical psychology and atheistastroagnosis, as well as the role of the astrophysical psychologist, we will now sequentially consider in the order shown below ten notable profiles of astronomers and astrophysicists (see the “Astrophysics vs. Astronomy” tab entry) in connection with atheistastroagnosis. Except for Albert Einstein, the video presentations are less than 10 minutes each:

(1) Robert Jastrow

(2) Neil DeGrasse Tyson

(3) Stephen Hawking

(4) Carl Sagan

(5) Albert Einstein

(6) Isaac Newton

(7) Copernicus

(8) Tycho Brahe

(9) Galileo Galilei

(10) Johannes Kepler