Why do so many people still believe in the paranormal in the 21st century? It turns out that science has found good reason and even some benefits of belief in the supernatural.
An unexpected experience
Winston Churchill visited the White House shortly after World War II and is said to have had a supernatural experience. After an unchanging cigarette and whiskey, he went to the next room, where he unexpectedly met the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. They say he remained unperturbed and even said: “Good afternoon, Mr. President. You put me in an awkward position. The spirit smiled and disappeared.
This supposed contact with the supernatural puts Churchill on a par with many famous people. Arthur Conan Doyle spoke to ghosts through mediums, and Alan Turing believed in telepathy. These three men, who were known for their sharp minds, could not give up their belief in the impossible. And you can also join them. According to recent studies, three quarters of people believe in paranormal activity in one form or another, while one in five believes that they have seen such a phenomenon as a ghost.
Disorders in the brain
Intrigued by these persistent beliefs, psychologists decided to study why some of us cannot get rid of old prejudices and folklore. Their findings indicate that belief in the paranormal has some hidden virtues. At the very least, this should lead you to think about whether you have the correct ideas about the world.
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Some paranormal experiences can easily be attributed to brain dysfunctions. Information about the poltergeist that moves objects is associated with damage to certain areas of the right hemisphere of the brain that are responsible for visual processing of information. In addition, some forms of epilepsy lead to the fact that a person begins to feel the presence of someone near him. Perhaps this was the reason for the belief in the "shadow people" who are hiding nearby.
Visual illusions
The phenomena described above are currently perceived as neurological disorders, while some visual illusions can occur even in a healthy brain, creating mythical creatures. For example, a young Italian psychologist looked in the mirror one morning and saw a gray-haired old man looking at him. His later experiments confirmed that such illusions are fairly common. When you look at your image in semi-darkness, your brain is most likely trying to outline the contours of your face while filling in the missing information. This can lead to skulls, witches, and even hideous animals.
Thus, a combination of exhaustion, drugs, alcohol, and lack of light may have contributed to isolated observations such as those reported by Churchill. But what about the experiences of people like Conan Doyle, who seemed to see otherworldly phenomena every day?
Protective shield
Religious psychologists have long suspected that belief in the paranormal can serve as a kind of shield from the harsh reality of our world. The idea is that when something unexpected happens - death, natural disaster, or job loss - the person's brain begins to seek meaning in this chaos. This is a kind of perception of reality that when we cannot get control over some events, we transfer it to other subjects, even if they do not actually exist. If you ask a person to remember a time when everything got out of control, he will begin to see some illusory forces that helped him cope with everything. So, some people begin to see patterns in the random movement of the stock market. But it can also manifest itself by combining unrelated events, such as the belief that,knocking on wood "for good luck" can help you get through an important interview.
Anthropomorphism
This is another common way in which we try to understand events. Thus, we begin to think that the storm was caused by an evil spirit, and the disease was caused by a demon, and we cannot admit that we have no control over these events. If a branch starts knocking on your window, you tend to think that the spirit is trying to say something. We believe in ghosts because we don't want to think that the universe is full of accidents. Again, very often we feel calmer when we feel less control over our lives.
Given these strange twists and turns of the mind, it is possible that some people tend to see hidden patterns and motives, and this explains why some are more superstitious than others. Moreover, such people cannot understand why others do not share their worldview.
Hidden faces
Not so long ago, a study was carried out in which skeptics and believers took part. They had to look at animation of moving figures while on a brain scan. People who believe in the paranormal are much more likely to see some kind of purpose behind these movements, and this is reflected in the greater activity of the brain in those parts of it that are associated with "theory of mind" and understanding the motives of other people. Additionally, people who believe in the supernatural often see hidden faces in everyday photographs.
In addition to this, believers may have little cognitive "inhibition" compared to skeptics. This skill allows you to get rid of unwanted thoughts. So even if we are all scared by strange coincidences from time to time, skeptics can force themselves to get rid of these thoughts.
For example, you thought about your mother, and two minutes later she called you. Skeptics will just laugh and say it's a funny coincidence and immediately start thinking about something else.
On the other hand, people who believe in the paranormal are more confident in their decisions, even if they are based on false information.
Benefits of supernatural belief
However, most researchers agree that skeptics should not be overly critical of people who have such beliefs. After all, one study showed that various superstitions can improve performance. For example, the favorite talismans during the test significantly improved the results of the subjects, as they increased their self-confidence. In another study, a lucky golf ball was found to increase the likelihood of hitting a hole. And even such simple words as "no fluff, not a feather" or "I hold my fists for you," increased the agility of the participants and their ability to solve complex problems.
Even if you feel invulnerable, don't underestimate the power of suggestion. Each of us is prone to mistakes if we feel like we are losing control. After all, Churchill, Turing and Conan Doyle have already proved to us that even the most discerning minds can be fantasized from time to time.