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What is Said A professor making a statement about a topic is treated with respect. This is often true even if the topic is about something that is outside their field of expertise. When Prof Stephen Hawking gives his judgments about theology, the press reports it as fact. The neurologist Oliver Sacks was asked about astral travel. His response was that the mind could not exist outside of the body. So if you ask a neurologist a question, you get an answer that is in line with current neurological thinking. If you ask a mathematician a question on theology, you get a mathematical answer. Some people pay great attention when a famous actress (usually attractive) is asked for her opinion on rain forests or George Bush. Many sceptics criticise the books of Carlos Castaneda as being works of fiction, and accordingly reject his ideas. In other words, what he says is not important – what is important is his status. The ideas expressed are the same whether he personally experienced them or not. Sceptic societies often give the views of professors to support their ideas. For example this site discusses the views of a specialist on acupuncture. This is simply anecdotal evidence, a personal opinion and not science. Sceptic societies are dismissive of this type of thinking when the ideas do not accord with their preconceptions. For example in this site the opinions of a scientist are dismissed as being unscientific. There is a problem with considering an idea based on where the idea comes from, rather than what the idea is. Human beings have an inherent intellectual laziness and will generally attempt to return to preconceived ideas rather than attempting to do the hard work of considering a new idea on its merits. If an excuse can be found to reject an idea rather than having to do this hard work, many people will grab it. So an idea can be rejected if it didn't come from someone who has acceptable qualifications. For sceptics, acceptable qualifications are those from institutions that are acceptable to sceptics, so it’s hardly surprising that they toe the line in most instances. This is true in politics as well. People have preconceived political ideas and often reject out of hand ideas that come from people with a different view. I pointed out previously (‘Keeping our Beliefs’) how people will often read ideas from organisations they trust in order to determine what view to take. I've also pointed out previously (‘Education and Indoctrination’) that much of what passes for education is really indoctrination. Someone who studies at a university and who passes exams set by their professor is going to think on the same lines as their teachers. They then go on to teach and continue the cycle.