ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Alief (mental state)

Alief is a fancy word that means the way you feel deep down inside, even if you know it's not true. For example, sometimes you might see a scary movie and you know it's not real, but you still feel scared. That's because your alief is saying, "this is scary!" Even though your brain is telling you, "it's just a movie."

Alief affects the way you see things and can make you have certain feelings even if you know they're not really true. For example, you might be scared of a snake, even though you know it's not going to hurt you. That's because your alief is saying, "snakes are dangerous," even though your brain knows that's not always true.

It's important to understand your alief because it can affect your thoughts and behavior without you even realizing it. By understanding and challenging your aliefs, you can change your reactions and feelings to certain things. So next time you feel scared or upset about something, try to understand why you feel that way and if it's because of your alief.