Sure enough — the sky is above the head. But most of the sky lies below the feet.

Like the hidden portion of the sky, countless psychological effects on human beings are in shadow. Here is a compiled list of seven effects based on their familiarity with our daily lives.

Bystanders effect

The most dangerous response of the public to an emergency is — no response.

It was the night of October 24, 2009. The Richmond High School students and the faculty assembled at the gymnasium for a homecoming dance party. Outside in the courtyard, a 15-year-old female student of the same school was brutally raped by a group of outsiders.

At least 20 people were aware of the happening, but none responded with any action. No calls were made to the police, no help was offered to the victim, and no voice was raised against the rapists for more than two and half hours.

Even the school’s principal looked out the window and saw 12–15 unidentified men gathered around a scene he couldn’t figure out. The men didn’t look like students. But he returned to his job and ignored the whole thing.

Shockingly, about ten people took videos and photos at the moment but didn’t bother to call the police. They didn’t feel that the incident was real and happening.

It is the bystander’s effect — The phenomenon that makes a person stand by an emergency, unaware or reluctant to offer help because of the presence of other people.

Tip: When you notice something unusual happening — respond.

Overview effect

Earth and space — are two separate entities that coexist in the void.

Only the astronauts who traveled to space have crossed the line of separation between them. This detachment from the planet remains unnoticed until they’re hundreds of miles away. Earth is massive, but as seen from space, it is nothing more than — a blue bubble.

The feeling of looking at this bubble must be at the same time — desolating and exhilarating. Astronauts say the sight triggers an elevated level of awareness in them. Often referred to as cosmic perception — they see the earth and humanity as one unit and wonder about their existence in the universe. This distraction makes them forget their purpose as they zone out at times.

This effect was — coined and described by space writer Frank White in 1987.

The Overview Effect — “a feeling of awe for our home planet and a sense of responsibility for taking care of it.”

Tip: Accept that we’re all a small part of the universe. This planet is our responsibility. There is no truth beyond it.

Wagon wheel effect

It is the magic observed in rotating wheels.

Rotating objects such as airplane propellers, car rims, and even ceiling fans appear to spin reverse from the direction of their rotation. The view is often mesmerizing to watch.

The wagon wheel effect occurs because our brain perceives motion in the form of pictures in a sequence called frames. Those frames are connected by the brain to signal the object in motion.

Likewise, when a wheel rotates, in the first frame, the spoke (red triangle) is at the first position (12’O clock). In the next frame, the rotating spoke nearly completes a spin and has reached (2’O clock). In third, it is further behind (4’O clock).

When the brain connects these three images in motion — the wheel appears to move in the opposite direction of the spin and thus the effect.

Imposter Syndrome

It is the feeling of being undeserving, non-talented, or fraudulent.

In reality, this feeling affects every aspect of life — like relationships, education, future goals, and countless others.

A person with imposter syndrome in a relationship thinks they are “not so good” for their partner. And when their partner figures this out — they will desert them.

In education— you obtained excellent grades but assume you got them by mistake. You don’t believe you’re that smart.

It is also approximate in the case of writers who tear off their drafts at the end of the writing session. They think their writing will fall low as compared to others.

Imposter syndrome — is characterized by self-doubt, looking for perfection, and the feeling of low self-worth.

Tip: Don’t doubt yourself. Nobody can excel you at being yourself, not even you.

Cross-race effect

I visited the state of Qatar in 2014. On the day I landed went to an Arabic concert at Souq Waqif.

I was new to the place, so a few friends accompanied me. A crowd of Qatari men danced and walked around. All had mustaches and beards, dressed in white gowns and a scarf on their head.

To me, all their faces looked alike.

I tried to comprehend their appearance but found it extremely difficult to distinguish. My friends ridiculed me with laughter that evening.

Cross race effect can also occur when you see Tibetans (Mongols), Africans, and other races for the first time.

The Cross-Race effect — is the tendency to recognize only the faces of own race and see all others alike.

Note: This effect quickly goes away with a bit of familiarization.

Google effect

Google committed this crime.

Our mind only remembers things that are stored. It stores the information it feels is important and needed in the future.

Welcome to the digital age. Our brain has stopped storing that information. Data shows most searches on google are simple information like website names, synonyms, and so on.

That is one effect of the internet and search engines. Our minds choose to forget things that are available on the internet.

Google effect/ digital amnesia — is the dependency on the internet for information that otherwise can be remembered.

Placebo Effect

It is the most dangerous one on the list.

There is a story shared on the internet about a man who got sentenced to an unusual form of punishment. He had to be bitten by a cobra for death.

The man was incarcerated and placed on death row. On his day, he got tied to a chair, hands fastened and his face covered. At the exact time, he was stung on the fingertip with a safety pin.

The man trembled and screamed at the pain. After a few hours, he surrendered to death.

When the prisoner felt the sting on his fingertip, he perceived it as a cobra (a placebo). The shock built destructive chemicals in his body, and the man died of their effect.

There are also examples of people’s responses to placebo drugs (dummy medicines). Studies have shown patients are relieved of headaches by swallowing empty capsules, told as aspirin.

The placebo effect — is the physical or mental response of the body to a substance or treatment with no therapeutic value.

This Will Fundamentally Change the Way You Look at Psychological Effects