Friday, January 25, 2008 | Reason : In the News | print version

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Loneliness Breeds Belief in Supernatural

by Live Science

Thanks to Mark for the link.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080125/sc_livescience/lonelinessbreedsbeliefinsupernatural

Loneliness Breeds Belief in Supernatural

Andrea Thompson
LiveScience Staff Writer

People who feel lonely are more likely to believe in the supernatural, whether that is God, angels or miracles, a new study finds.

Humans have evolved as social creatures, so loneliness cuts to the quick. Living in groups was critical to the survival and safety of our ancient ancestors, and "complete isolation or ostracism has been tantamount to a death sentence," said University of Chicago researcher Nicholas Epley, who led the study.

While group living isn't critical to survival in the modern world, feeling socially connected is. Feeling isolated and lonely is a very painful emotional state for people, Epley said, and can lead to ill health, both physically and mentally.

"Being socially isolated is just not good for you," he said.

When people feel lonely, they may try to rekindle old friendships, seek out new ones or, as Epley's study suggests, they may create social connections by anthropomorphizing nearby gadgets, such as computers or cars, pets, or by believing in supernatural events or religious figures.

Pets and religion

In their study, detailed in the February issue of the journal Psychological Science, Epley's team tried to induce feelings of loneliness in people to see how it affected how they thought of pets and their belief in religious figures.

In one experiment, college undergraduates were shown movie clips and told to try and empathize with the protagonist as best they could, in order to set them in one of three emotional states.

One group was shown a clip from "Cast Away," the movie in which the main character played by Tom Hanks is deserted on a remote island, in order to induce a feeling of isolation. The second group was shown a clip from the crime thriller "The Silence of the Lambs" to promote a sense of fear. A third, control group was shown a clip from the sports comedy feature film "Major League."

All three groups were then asked to describe a pet they owned or knew well and pick three traits from a list that best described them. The list included anthropomorphic traits that related to social connections (thoughtful, sympathetic) and simple behavioral descriptions (aggressive, energetic, fearful).

Participants from the loneliness group were more likely to describe the pet using the anthropomorphic descriptions than those in the fear or control groups.

All three groups were also asked to rate their belief in ghosts, angels, the devil, miracles, curses, and God, and again, those in the loneliness group reported stronger belief in these supernatural agents.

Future predictions

In another part of their study, Epley and his colleagues asked participants from the University of Chicago to fill out a personality questionnaire and were then told that the answers would be fed to a computer which would generate a future-life prediction for them. Half of the participants were read statements implying they would be lonely later in life, while the other half were told they would be socially connected for the rest of their lives.

"We tried to manipulate their loneliness, to make them feel lonely," Epley said.

The participants were then asked to rate their belief in the same supernatural agents in the other study, and those in the "lonely group" reported stronger belief than those in the "connected group." The results were also compared to ratings the participants gave before they got their life predictions, and those who reported a belief in God before and were made to feel lonely reported a stronger belief after the experiment.

"We found that inducing people to feel lonely made them more religious essentially," Epley told LiveScience, though he notes it won't cause any sudden conversions.

Health benefits

Owning pets and religious beliefs and practices are both known to increase a person's sense of well-being, but why exactly that is isn't well known, Epley said.

Epley and his colleagues plan to probe the issue further to see if anthropomorphizing pets or believing in anthropomorphized supernatural agents is what is responsible for alleviating feelings of loneliness. If it is, it could provide alternate means for people to feel socially connected when connecting to humans isn't an option.

"There are health benefits that come from being connected to other people, and those same benefits seem to come from connection with pets and with religious agents, too," Epley said.

* The Biggest Popular Myths
* 10 Things You Didn't Know About You
* Loneliness Kills, Study Shows

* Original Story: Loneliness Breeds Belief in Supernatural

Visit LiveScience.com for more daily news, views and scientific inquiry with an original, provocative point of view. LiveScience reports amazing, real world breakthroughs, made simple and stimulating for people on the go. Check out our collection of Science, Animal and Dinosaur Pictures, Science Videos, Hot Topics, Trivia, Top 10s, Voting, Amazing Images, Reader Favorites, and more. Get cool gadgets at the new LiveScience Store, sign up for our free daily email newsletter and check out our RSS feeds today!

Posted: Friday, January 25, 2008 | Permalink

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1. Comment #116142 by upsidedawn on January 25, 2008 at 3:47 pm

Well, I will say for myself, I do believe in dog.

Other Comments by upsidedawn

2. Comment #116149 by tybowen on January 25, 2008 at 4:04 pm

I wish I had a dog...

Other Comments by tybowen

3. Comment #116150 by Deepthought on January 25, 2008 at 4:11 pm

Owning pets and religious beliefs and practices are both known to increase a person's sense of well-being, but why exactly that is isn't well known

But wait a minute, the answer is given in the article. Lonliness is unhealthy, pets and religion remove lonliness, Pets and religion are thus healthy. So this explains why youth groups and prayer groups attract people: It stops them from being lonely! They get both human contact and contact with a dyslexic canine. (I've also heard him described as a gaseous invertebrate)

Other Comments by Deepthought

4. Comment #116151 by The Truth, the light on January 25, 2008 at 4:17 pm

A well known technique of a lot of religions (particularly the most cultish ones) is to love bomb new recruits to make them feel wanted and part of a large family.

I guess it's a natural human instinct to want to be loved/accepted by others, so if you target lonely/vulnerable people, they can be very easily converted into your religion (or any other similar group for that matter).

Other Comments by The Truth, the light

5. Comment #116156 by Nails on January 25, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Makes sense to me.

Other Comments by Nails

6. Comment #116160 by Godless on January 25, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Seems like a pretty obvious connection. Read any religious, contemplative literature and the virtues of self-isolation are paramount. Especially Catholic monastic material such as by Thomas Merton and the like. Creating an invisible friend is easier when you're lonely. Being social in the material world is just a negative distraction from thoughtful prayer and your own personal relationship with the God within.

That's not to say that contemplation in isolation can't clear and sharpen the rational mind however. Sometimes isolation is necessary for ones mental/emotional health, but not to the point of extreme and detrimental loneliness leading to reaching out to delusions rather than real, and hopefully rational, well balanced, people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Merton

Other Comments by Godless

7. Comment #116166 by nunquam on January 25, 2008 at 5:06 pm

The people who gave their pets "anthropomorphic descriptions" after watching "Cast Away" may have been influenced by feelings of empathy with the main character of that movie. He is shown giving a volleyball human characteristics, and forming a strong emotional attachment to it. (My cats love that part.)

I imagine the loneliness-religion connection was why so many "born-agains" would prowl my college campus and dorm, looking for lonely students (especially freshmen) they could invite to "bible study."

Other Comments by nunquam

8. Comment #116171 by nogodsever on January 25, 2008 at 5:19 pm

They weren't shown the entire movies, just clips.

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9. Comment #116178 by 82abhilash on January 25, 2008 at 5:53 pm

If this article is correct, then my life story is exceptional. I started creeping into irreligion when I started spending time with myself. Thinking in solitude about the important things in life.

I mean if you are born into a religion and people around you all act as if its core doctrines are absolutely true, would it even occur for you to question it? On the other hand if you got some time for yourself and could seriously scrutinize these concepts�

I see how a lonely person could invent a God to keep company, but there is another side to this story that has not been addressed in this article.

Other Comments by 82abhilash

10. Comment #116182 by Diacanu on January 25, 2008 at 6:34 pm

Hmm...I went through my brief deism phase during/after a particularly dejected and alienated period.....

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11. Comment #116187 by rod-the-farmer on January 25, 2008 at 7:00 pm

So, the solution is....give your kid a dog....to keep him/her away from irrational thinking ? Works for me. I always thought Weimaraners were rather god-like (remote, aloof, calm, titanium in colour = incorruptible). Irish Setters, on the other hand, are a cross between an elastic band and a bag of mixed nuts. Sorry, no divine aspect there.

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12. Comment #116196 by justin willemse on January 25, 2008 at 7:45 pm

its all about having the perfect inner child imaginary friend....

Hmmm, at times I am lonely, living on my own but don't people have hobbies, jobs, etc..... I certainly not believing in a God! but it might be cool.. I wonder what my God would be like? hmmmm. it would give me something to think about..

on second thought, I have put away child like things...

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13. Comment #116217 by Brungardt on January 25, 2008 at 9:47 pm

That actually makes a fair bit of sense. I consider myself a loner, I've never really ever needed a social group such as a church or something. Loner's probably can be alone without being lonesome, hence belief isn't natural to us though not necessarily anathema either. (though it is to me)

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14. Comment #116229 by Cartomancer on January 25, 2008 at 10:40 pm

The findings of the study seem to be fairly in line with common sense it would seem. But it is good to have studies actually showing this, especially with the religious making all they can of the argument that religion makes you happier - it's not because it's true but because it conjures feelings of social belonging, and those can be replicated just as easily by getting a cat!

I do think the title "loneliness breeds belief in the supernatural" is a bit misleading though - after all, there is nothing necessarily supernatural about imagined social relationships.

I must say, however, that on a personal level my deep loneliness has had related effects. In fact it is probably the main reason I frequent this site so often. As a postgraduate student in the humanities I am very lonely indeed most of the time - my work is entirely solitary now I am no longer teaching. I am sat in libraries on my own in silence most of the day, and when I have finished for the evening I live alone and go back to an empty house every night. I have few friends, and those I do have I see maybe once a week for a few hours at most. I am socially awkward and do not make friends easily, have never had a boyfriend, and to make matters worse being apart from my twin brother and the people I grew up with is very painful for me.

Has this made me more religious? Not in the traditional sense no, but I do tend to think an awful lot more about the cruelties of fate and circumstance in quite vivid and not entirely scientific terms. I talk to myself a lot, in the first, second and third person. I read novels and such and find myself identifying with the characters in a fairly intimate way, who I will then think about long after the book is finished. It would not be unrealistic to say that I live in my own fantasy world much of the time. And of course there are the ubiquitous social networking websites, online dating sites and internet-based oases of clear thinking where I can let off steam by tearing chunks out of any godbotherers unfortunate enough to get in my way.

I'm sure my counsellor and my psychiatrist would agree with these findings at any rate!

Other Comments by Cartomancer

15. Comment #116233 by emmet on January 25, 2008 at 11:48 pm

I wonder if Sam Harris still thinks sitting alone in a cave for months is a good idea? Seems like it's apt to turn one into a religious nut-job :o)

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16. Comment #116238 by LorienRyan on January 26, 2008 at 12:07 am

There's nothing like spending time with family and friends to keep one's feet on the ground. I believe a very important aspect of socializing is being a positive contributer to the dynamic. It's unfortunate that some religious ideologies seem to be designed to trap the lonely by isolating people's minds and suppressing freedom of thought.

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17. Comment #116239 by dialector on January 26, 2008 at 12:11 am

I imagine that if secularists (including atheist, humanists, etc) were to spend all their energy in solving problems of lonliness, they would become 10 times the terror to religion they they are when they are simply debating the mundane topic of the existence of God. A secular solution to lonliness would destroy most of the base of religion in the human heart. God is actually irrelivent to the human condition. So much energy is wasted blathering about God. If secularists always demanded that the true depth of the sensitivity of the human condition be made a priority, then religion would fall like lightning from the sky (metaphorical reference to lucifer). The best argument we can have against the existence of the Gods of the religions is to stop talking about them. Refocus society's attention on the humanity. Meet the religious talk of God with the secular talk of humanity. Raise humanity to the status of respect normally reserved for Gods and we will solve most of the problems in the world.

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18. Comment #116247 by BaronOchs on January 26, 2008 at 2:50 am

Godless I'm not sure apart from everything else you would get particularly lonely in a monastery because it is a very close tight-knit community. Also since everyone else there is doing exactly the same stuff at the same time as you I'd imagine that would reduce a sense of isolation?

Thomas Merton could probably alleviate loneliness by reading his fan mail also.

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19. Comment #116249 by Geoff on January 26, 2008 at 3:02 am

Hmmm. I wonder if social networking via the internet would serve the same purpose?

Got religion? Need a cure? Join Facebook!

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20. Comment #116252 by keith on January 26, 2008 at 3:39 am

Emmet,

I wonder if Sam Harris still thinks sitting alone in a cave for months is a good idea? Seems like it's apt to turn one into a religious nut-job :o)

You know, I've been thinking about Sam and his cave too. When you envision someone going off to a cave for years at a time you picture some bedraggled old bloke who has nothing left to lose in life, or perhaps just a pair of sandals.

However, imagine Sam's pretty 18-year-old (and purely hypothetical) daughter telling dad that she's going off to live in a cave for a year. The obvious questions for Sam to ask would be, "Why? Aren't you happy? Don't you want to see something of the world? Don't you want to keep your friends or make some new ones? Don't you want to read about the history of the world or find out about how plants grow?"

It seems to me that going off to meditate for long spells of time is perhaps an activity for the world-weary and jaded. I can't see why someone with a lust for life and a curiosity about the world would want to find an alternative, solipsistic spiritual world...Unless, of course, you find yourself surrounded by plastic tat and Big Brother Celebrity Hijack and Gangster Rap and hoodies and ugly council estates and rude shoppers in town centres and old people who talk like they've had their brains removed. Then a damp, dark, mildew-ridden cave really does sound quite attractive.

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21. Comment #116255 by 7Fred7 on January 26, 2008 at 3:49 am

So, the picture is:

A religion is a club. If you want to get into the club, it's probably because you're lonely, in which case the entry conditions in are likely to be quite acceptable - welcome, in fact. Once in the club, fear of loneliness will prevent you from criticising it, and cause you to reject criticism from anyone else.

Sounds about right.

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22. Comment #116256 by op-cow on January 26, 2008 at 3:59 am

Hey, been reading, now I'm posting!

Hey! Good news! Save someone from god, be their friend! Not only a fun and easy way to get rid of the mutants, also proof that atheists are friendly and sociable people :)

Other Comments by op-cow

23. Comment #116258 by Vinelectric on January 26, 2008 at 4:38 am

Welcome op-cow

People in the very religious middle eastern socieities have ridiculously large extended and well knit families. That seems to enhance and perpetuate religious beliefs through group solidarity.

I only started to doubt the supernatural when I moved to live alone and got a break from the constant and incessant preaching by those who are anxious that you might start thinking for yourself unless you're kept in check.

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24. Comment #116259 by Paula Kirby on January 26, 2008 at 4:47 am

7Fred7: A religion is a club. If you want to get into the club, it's probably because you're lonely, in which case the entry conditions in are likely to be quite acceptable - welcome, in fact. Once in the club, fear of loneliness will prevent you from criticising it, and cause you to reject criticism from anyone else.

I'm sure this is absolutely right - but I would take it even further. The club of religion doesn't just mask your isolation from people outside the club, it actively exacerbates it. It does so partly by telling you that non-believers are potentially damaging to your spiritual health and therefore not to be allowed to get too close, and partly by filling your head with weird ideas that will make non-members of the club less likely to want to engage with you anyway.

I don't claim that this process is always deliberate on the part of the Christians who lure you in in the first place. I suspect that Dan Dennett has it absolutely right: religion is, quite simply, diabolically good at replicating itself.

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25. Comment #116262 by ianmkz on January 26, 2008 at 4:56 am

I don't claim that this process is always deliberate on the part of the Christians who lure you in in the first place.

I recently read "American Fascists" by Chris Hedges who spends a significant portion of the book talking about the tactics used by evangelicals; tactics practiced in workshops and spelled out in workbooks to bring about a crisis in the victim's life. Then love bombing. Then withdrawal of love for failure to fully embrace the whole mindset of the believer. All very carefully worked out.

Indeed it is not all Christians who work this way, but it is the way of those Christians who are of most concern to us.

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26. Comment #116265 by Gmork on January 26, 2008 at 5:08 am

There are people who thrive in solitude who also are atheists. I guess that would put a big dent in this study.

Feeling isolated and lonely is a very painful emotional state for people, Epley said, ...

Only if you haven't chosen it, Epley. I can see two kinds of scenarios; those who are left out due to various circumstances, and those who choose to be alone during their allotted freedom. Those in the first category are desperate to belong, and some religions are tailor made to take advantage of this human feeling, giving these people a false sense of belonging under some abstract hierarchical unity. The beautiful part is that, when people die, they will never get to know it was a lie anyway, because no one person has ever experienced death, except externally.

Either you're intellectually honest (atheistic), or intellectually dishonest (theistic). It's when religion starts adding other social interests into the mix that it becomes a danger, because of the group.

Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou: "You can make isolation into loneliness and make yourself--I think--more miserable, but I think isolation can lead to solitude, and solitude could be also a very powerful, positive emotion, and thought, and feeling, that takes you to another state." from the song "Dimitri's Bar" (@3:30).--Being alone may give inherently atheistic people time for reflection, but it never leads to the round-off error in reason called religion.

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27. Comment #116268 by dlitt on January 26, 2008 at 5:27 am

I'm sure we could predict that conclusion without the study. If nobody else loves you, surely God does.

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28. Comment #116269 by Paula Kirby on January 26, 2008 at 5:27 am

Gmork: There are people who thrive in solitude who also are atheists. I guess that would put a big dent in this study.

Feeling isolated and lonely is a very painful emotional state for people, Epley said, ...

Only if you haven't chosen it, Epley

I think we have to be careful not to read more into the article than it is really saying. "Loneliness" is surely, by definition, unwanted isolation. It is of course perfectly possible to be alone without being lonely, but I don't think the article is suggesting otherwise - so I don't see the existence of happy, solitary atheists as putting a dent in it at all. Nor is the article arguing that everyone who is lonely will turn to religion - just that loneliness has the effect of increasing the likelihood of their doing so.

I love being alone myself - though there's definitely a correlation between the time when I turned to religion and an unpleasantly isolated period in my life. (I've since recovered - on both counts - I'm happy to report!) And I'm not at all sure I'd enjoy my current solitude anything like so much if I didn't have my adorable dog; or the internet! So there was a lot in this article that rang very true to me.

Other Comments by Paula Kirby

29. Comment #116274 by Richard Morgan on January 26, 2008 at 5:50 am

An interesting study. It confirms that the human brain really has evolved to do this kind of thing. Another "misfiring".
In my avatar, god is in the triangles. The brain is so good at leaping to conclusions in the absence of other data.
That it should create imaginary people in the absence of real social contact is just "business as usual".

Paula - you seem to be fine at handling difficult life situations. But if ever your dog starts talking to you, I know some good psychiatrists in your part of the world!

Other Comments by Richard Morgan

30. Comment #116276 by Corylus on January 26, 2008 at 5:54 am

Religious groups are well aware of this. E.g. you only have to look at all the advertising and plugs of religious groups to lonely new students when they turn up at universities.

University societies and clubs are great ways of meeting new people, but it is the religious groups that put leaflets under doors and continual notices on boards.

I am sure many members of these groups are sincere and are offering support as they see it. However, it always struck me as a bit 'unsporting'.
-----

Cartomancer

As a postgraduate student in the humanities I am very lonely indeed most of the time... I am sat in libraries on my own in silence most of the day,

Been there. Sends hug.

Trouble is, when you get out of the library and are faced with crowds you just want to go back in. People, en masse, can be hard to deal with.

I don't see anything wrong with having just a few close friends and relationships and concentrating on them. Quality not quanity. Not everyone can be a gregarious party animal.

Good thing too, scratch the surface of a extremely sociable type and you often find a deeply boring individual.

Other Comments by Corylus

31. Comment #116277 by Paula Kirby on January 26, 2008 at 5:58 am

Richard Morgan: But if ever your dog starts talking to you ...

Well, her eyes and her tail are certainly both extremely eloquent. But no, no signs of her bursting into oratory ... yet. If she ever does, I shall know it's definitely a sign that I need to get out more! :-)

Other Comments by Paula Kirby

32. Comment #116278 by bluebird on January 26, 2008 at 6:12 am

nunquam, our younger son had strong empathetic feelings towards Tom Hank's character when he lost "Wilson".

Paula, here in the U.S. there are programs that allow dog owners to take their dog to Nursing Homes; the idea being it gives much needed emotional & physical contact to the residents. Is there something similar in the U.K.?

Other Comments by bluebird

33. Comment #116279 by Paula Kirby on January 26, 2008 at 6:17 am

Bluebird: Paula, here in the U.S. there are programs that allow dog owners to take their dog to Nursing Homes; the idea being it gives much needed emotional & physical contact to the residents. Is there something similar in the U.K.?

Yes, there are a variety of schemes. It's a great idea - you can imagine why it would work so well. I really wanted to do this with my own dog, since she most decidedly has the "aaaaaah" effect - but she's just too bouncy and exuberant. That's what happens when you cross a border collie with a kangaroo.

Other Comments by Paula Kirby

34. Comment #116281 by Richard Morgan on January 26, 2008 at 6:28 am

Paula

That's what happens when you cross a border collie with a kangaroo.

You've done it again! You've just fucked up all I ever believed about the differentiation of species.
Back to the drawing board for all us biologists, I suppose.
(Talking about dogs - did you know that in the absence of males, bitches can manifest hysterical pregnancies?)

Other Comments by Richard Morgan

35. Comment #116283 by home8896 on January 26, 2008 at 6:37 am

This is the crux of my problems. Unwanted isolation, deep loneliness, divorce, and yet the inability to entertain invisible beings. I suppose if I were indoctrinated, I would be in a situation where a church would become my whole world, right now. This is probably why so many acquaintances are trying to get me into some church or other. I really can't do the imaginary friend thing for long periods of time, and I did try for many years. So, this isolation is pretty cruel right now, and I still haven't quite worked out how to live in such a deeply religious area, alone with my kids, being the last of my family before my sons, for all intents and purposes, and truly wishing to reach out and make friends. The religious issue really does get in the way, though. It amazes me how insulted people are when I am frank about not being able to buy this stuff. There has to be something besides bars and clubs to do in a secular setting around here. I just don't know what yet. If I were more vulnerable, I certainly would probably give a church a try. Not even my cat is quite enough to fill this loneliness, though. I agree with what someone above said that if secular organizations could alleviate this problem, it would be a mighty blow to the hold churches have over most of us who long for human company.

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36. Comment #116285 by 7Fred7 on January 26, 2008 at 6:52 am

For several reasons, the experience of loneliness must surely be in the interests of the 'selfish gene'. Perhaps the gene should be grateful to religions for the gathering of flocks. However, one could regard religions as an unfortunate by-product of the human craving for the positive aspects of social participation.

The word 'flock', incidentally, is derived from the Latin grex, from which 'gregarious' is derived.

Other Comments by 7Fred7

37. Comment #116286 by Gmork on January 26, 2008 at 6:52 am

I wish Epley had used your expression "unwanted loneliness", Paula. I guess I have different connotations/starting points with these words, maybe because I have pretty much always been alone/"left to my own devices"--but I never found myself believing in a higher being, or seeking to believe in anything to that effect (in retrospect), and it was never a wish to be alone or a wish not to be alone, it just happened that way.

I can see that people may be isolated and lonely in a society (objectively), but they don't have to feel isolated or lonely, and certainly not in such a way that they try to fill it with something abstract no one can touch because it doesn't exist, and as such, is perfect to disassociate their self/ego with and build their default "don't knows" on. But according to this study, the fascination with our existence is more likely to lead to the round-off error in reason called religion; maybe it's just the mind's open shortest path first (OSPF) algorithm, so instead of using energy on building an explanation, just place it somewhere convenient energywise.

A better group to study in this case, I think, would be people who are released back into society after having served their time in jail; they are most often objectively isolated, and many have difficulty trying to get back into society again--and of course, religion is there with arms wide open, with a man already on the inside starting the indoctrination. Although these people only seek a community and/or help to adapt, they are handed to a flock of deluded liars, and find themselves accepting the lies (viewed objectively) to reep the benefits of this community. Maybe that's not dangerous per se, but it's dishonest. It would be perfectly okay with me if they were honest about it at least, but that would ruin the potential control aspect I guess.

I have a cat, though, but I think it's more likely that it's the cat who does the *morphizing. ;)

Other Comments by Gmork

38. Comment #116288 by Steever on January 26, 2008 at 7:04 am

I am happy because I believe in DOG. I am a DOGmatic CATholic.

heehee

(Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Other Comments by Steever

39. Comment #116289 by Matt H. on January 26, 2008 at 7:13 am

I think that may be true, actually. It brings even more meaning to the word we use to describe god; 'Imaginary friend'. But also I think suffering a bereavement could also induce such beliefs. Sure, it can also swing both ways, Darwin himself reportedly lost his faith when his daughter died. But a lot of the people I know have picked up some kind of faith system after a loved one's death because they want to believe something is there, after death, where they can all be re-united. It's a shame, really.

Other Comments by Matt H.

40. Comment #116291 by AfraidToDie on January 26, 2008 at 7:23 am

People who feel lonely are more likely to believe in the supernatural, whether that is God, angels or miracles, a new study finds

This makes sense to me for many reasons. However, I'd like to see if the reciprocal (not sure this is the right word) of that would have merit: Those who are NOT lonely are more likely to be atheist?

Although I have read so many opinions and quotes, as well as summaries of studies, on why people are either theist or atheist, I really have not been able to understand why people are theist. It is easy for me to deduce that rational (logical) thinking should make one atheist, because that is my own background (strong math background, hardwired for logic). Yet, I still know people in my profession and similar background that are strong theists. You must admit there are many theists that are very strong intellectually, and just because they believe in something we feel is not logical, they are not idiots. My problem is that I feel there has got to be a reason why people feel there is a god, but nothing they can say or do satisfies me as justification for religion. Belief in god must therefore be a pure emotion that you are either "hardwired" to believe or not?

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41. Comment #116292 by MaxD on January 26, 2008 at 7:39 am

I made a link to poverty, lonliness and religiousity in a paper I wrote for one of my education classes. It wasn't greeted well. Any critique of religion-at least in my experience- treated poorly except when it is about interpretation. People can kill time endlessly debating what Jesus meant in this verse or that verse and everyone just thinks thats the best. To me it always seems like debating whether or not Hamlet was fat. Who fucking cares?
But if you try to discuss what drives people to religion you will, unless your reasons are flattering, meet angry responses instead of sensible discussion.

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42. Comment #116293 by MaxD on January 26, 2008 at 7:45 am

Chuck Colson, leader and founder of Prison Ministries (founded I think while he was doing time for Watergate), claims to win many inmates for Christ. And isn't the Nation of Islam always getting quality recruits to its cult of separation in the pen? I'm inclined to agree with the following:
A better group to study in this case, I think, would be people who are released back into society after having served their time in jail; they are most often objectively isolated, and many have difficulty trying to get back into society again--and of course, religion is there with arms wide open, with a man already on the inside starting the indoctrination. Although these people only seek a community and/or help to adapt, they are handed to a flock of deluded liars, and find themselves accepting the lies (viewed objectively) to reep the benefits of this community. Maybe that's not dangerous per se, but it's dishonest. It would be perfectly okay with me if they were honest about it at least, but that would ruin the potential control aspect I guess.

Prisons would be a great place to look at the birth of some forms of the religious inclination. Though the narrative of conversion is typically hyperbolic, self-serving and un-reliable you could try to survey new inmates immediately after conviction and follow them through the length of their incarceration.

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43. Comment #116294 by bluebird on January 26, 2008 at 7:47 am

AfraidToDie, I love your avatar, magnificant animals.

It brings to mind the movie "Curse of the Cat People", the classic ethereal drama that is mostly Val Lewton's psychological study of a little girl's creation of an imaginary friend.

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44. Comment #116296 by MaxD on January 26, 2008 at 7:57 am

Sam Harris and the Cave.
I'm not sure why this seems like a good idea. He does like to go on a bit about the benefits of this. But I think he has yet to make his case.

More than this, I think the range of cognitive experience he is refering to is already had by most folk. They either fix their eye of wonder at some fake mystery like the trinity, or Jesus, or Mohammed, or the Buddha and find awe in that.

Or like most of us we find mystery and awe as we happen by it. It is at least mystery and awe we can see, or touch, and hear. I think it is what Carl Sagan was refering to in his work. I think it can be found in literature, and science and history but you have to do some real mental work to appreciate it, not just be able to endure "the eye-glazing" (Dennet's lovely phrase) innanities of mysterian faith-heads.
I am always confused by Harris's privilaging of extreme introspection. I'm not knocking meditation I'm sure its okay, and we all do some form of it anyway. I know I do to get into a zone prior to a competition. But a year?
In a cave?
Hasn't he heard of hanta virus?

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45. Comment #116304 by Paula Kirby on January 26, 2008 at 8:15 am

Gmork: I wish Epley had used your expression "unwanted loneliness", Paula

I prefer the expression "unwanted solitude", since loneliness is always unwanted - as opposed to solitude, which can be actively chosen. It gets confusing if we use "loneliness" to encompass contented solitude. I am very often alone; hardly ever lonely.

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46. Comment #116314 by Alkal on January 26, 2008 at 8:35 am

Probably that is why I never became a religious nut-case... I was an only kid, with a very strong reading habit- which has pretty much kept me through long periods of being forced to be alone- when I was doing my masters and alter on when I was working .... Yes the reading kept me away from groups to join and stuff like that.. and I never was "lonely" only alone... never saw the need to conform..

Now for I believe in dog, yup I need a dog to believe in, also a cat.

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47. Comment #116331 by HourglassMemory on January 26, 2008 at 8:55 am

Would I be the only one to think that this sort of thinking could also be applied to us as a civilisation on planet Earth?

Our own loneliness on this planet makes us create these supersticions, such as extraterrestrial encounters and ghosts and gods...

EDIT:
I was also wondering if this just because our brains are so needy of social situations.
Why people develop imaginary friends, and why many times they talk to themselves.
It might even be why we dream, who knows.(I know it probably isn't)

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48. Comment #116335 by Deepthought on January 26, 2008 at 9:04 am

I have always been a heavy reader so maybe we can find a relationship between # of books read in x amount of time and religious beliefs. The genre of books may also be important. As someone who has read fantasy books for most of their life, I can speak from experience that it gives you two tools to keep you from turning to religion:
1. An ability to seperate fact from fiction
2. A hard time falling for the "argument from personal incredulity". I haven't fallen for it yet :).

[edit: My slow fingers made it so that I couldn't put this after the post that inspired the comment. It was Alkal's post 47.]

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49. Comment #116337 by markg on January 26, 2008 at 9:08 am

To paraphrase Robert Di Niro's character in (Heat,) "I am alone, but I'm not lonely.

Yes, some of us are confusing loneliness and solitude. I think Sam Harris is refering to solitude when he talks about meditation, etc. He probably uses it to disconnect temporarily from the stresses of everyday life.

I can understand both. I was raised in a "Xtian home" (Northern Baptist - which is only slightly less nutty than Southern Baptist) in the U.S. I'm the only one of four children to have left that belief system and been "born-again" as an unbeliever. My mom used to say my sister and I liked to play by ourselves. My two brothers, however, would rather have had someone play with them. And my brothers are still outgoing and friendly more so than my sister or me.

Cartomancer, Home8896, Paula and others I certainly can relate to your comments. I lived alone for five years before I met my wife. I didn't have a problem living alone. I've been married 7 years, but still consider myself a loner. I have few friends and don't socialize that much.

My wife, son, job and all my interests (one being spending too much time at this website) keep me busy enough that I guess I don't feel lonely.

Mark

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50. Comment #116338 by Paula Kirby on January 26, 2008 at 9:08 am

HourglassMemory: Would I be the only one to think that this sort of thinking could also be applied to us as a civilisation on planet Earth?
Our own loneliness on this planet makes us create these supersticions, such as extraterrestrial encounters and ghosts and gods...

What an interesting thought. Carl Sagan would have loved it!

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