Calling it mental illness isn't just a stretch it's just fuckin wrong my dude. I get what you're saying but bro, that's just how humans work.

For the vast majority of people, belief in science isn't fundamentally different than belief in religion. Very few people actually know. The rest of us are taking it on faith that the scientific method is working. Even when it isn't (that's a fascinating story, btw, a lot of scientists confirmed findings before it was ultimately debunked.)

Taking things on faith is part of why we work as a species, knowing a thing to be true without ever seeing it is critical to a functioning culture.

The fact that that well has been poisoned with bullshit is a natural consequence.