Author's Research

A couple years ago for Christmas, I got "The Twelfth Imam" by Joel Rosenberg. It is a fictional book set in historical events. You could argue that since it is a book, that alternate version of history or an alternate universe, as it were, would not be the same history as our own. Given how much research the author must have done for the period setting, it would be acceptable to assume that it is relatively the same universe as ours.

Word Association

Word association can be used to make a person believe something they normally would not do. Furthermore, it turns off the part of the brain that is critical and analytical. This is similar to the Pavlovian Effect where if you ring a bell and a dog will salivate because it knows the bell represents food he will soon get. It is also important that you have seen the movie Inception, but I will explain the basic points needed.