Research suggest Apple incites a religious following (literally)
Most everyone who uses technology feels strongly about Apple. These feelings cause some to praise every decision (and overlook some bad ones), and others cause to focus on every mistake the company makes. Either way, one cannot deny that Apple incites much more praise and controversy than any other company.
A recent study by the BBC show Secrets of the Superbrands has made an interesting discovery as to what might be the cause. The study took volunteers from a crowd of Apple fans at a London product launch. These volunteers were given MRI scans by a neuroscientists, who noted an interesting anomaly: the frenzy of Apple adoration and marketing were actually stimulating the same parts of the brain stimulated by religion.
So, is being an Apple fan its own religion now? Hardly. The study might only mean that the volunteers were simply feeling religious that day. However, it is in fact possible that Apple has been able to reach into our brains and stimulate deep emotions. From the way most people feel so strongly, maybe they already have.
Despite the fact that this was a small and inconclusive study, it does raise some interesting questions. Has Apple built the best advertising campaigns in history? Are companies like Google trying to do the same thing? Did you buy that iPad in a religious frenzy?
