In reply to broken spectre:
I'm not sure I agree with your premise; abstract modelling is the basis for human innovation, as opposed to learned behaviour which we share with lots of other animals.
So you could get someone to teach you how to solve a Rubik's cube, or you could randomly twist it around until you begin to see how it works.
Creatives, and flat-earthers, have developed their own models of how the world works. From the artists you can get amazing art, if you can relate to it somehow, which expands your ideas of the world. Flat-earthers feel happy that they've shown those pesky scientists the finger. Religious types have found a construct which satisfies their moral and emotional needs. Scientists are satisfied that their modelling is correct and verifiable.
All of these things, which are of course highly debatable, contain cognitive weak spots and are catalysts for being exploited by misinformation, spring from your apophenia.
Terry Pratchett said: "fantasy is where the falling angel meets the rising ape". Terry is always right.