With regard to The Santa Clause Argument, see also: Masamune Shirow's fictionalized premise of what he termed as a "Stand Alone Complex." https://en.wikipedia.

With regard to The Santa Clause Argument, see also: Masamune Shirow's fictionalized premise of what he termed as a "Stand Alone Complex." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_Ghost_in_the_Shell#Stand_Alone_Complex https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_Ghost_in_the_She... Long story short: People hear about an event or idea, which did not happen or does not exist, and aspects of that thing become a part of reality, purely as an extension of the collective psychological reaction of those who become aware of the rumor or myth.