There are times when I am discussing the paranormal with a believer that I am struck by the vastness of difference between us. I do honestly try to grasp for the common ground – facts that are in evidence, undeniable logic, or some things which seem to me to be part of the universal human condition. But sometimes I fail – what I think should be common ground crumbles like dust beneath my feet. It is as if we are trying to grapple with brains that have fundamental functional differences, that construct the world in such different ways they simply cannot understand each other.

This question has fascinated me – was I born skeptical? Are true believers born true believers? Do their brains actually work differently than mine? Perhaps a “logic circuit” is absent, or else that part of the brain that needs to believe overwhelms all else. Or is it all culture and experience? Could a bit of training in critical thinking drop the scales from their eyes and make them see reason?

BTW – I acknowledge that these questions are entirely phrased from my point of view, and they might ask if I am missing something, that spiritual piece of gray matter that reveals to them the truth while I am blind or unfeeling. But in all honestly, I think I do see and feel what they do (I certainly did when I was a youngster), I just don’t buy it.

I also think there is more than one answer to this question – every possible permutation probably exists. There are those born to believe and this is reinforced by their culture, those born with a tendency to believe, but learn the logic and critical thinking to override such desires. Others might have very little tendency to accept the magical and might range from apathetic to militant non-believers depending upon their experiences.

But the question remains – among all this human complexity, are there those whose brains are hard-wired to have spiritual experiences, to believe rather than to question, and to blend fantasy and reality? Although the evidence is preliminary and complex to interpret- the provisional answer is yes. At least these traits vary (the typical bell curve of most biological variability), and those at the believer end of the spectrum seem to have some identifiable traits that explain their belief.

I will write in more detail this week about some of this research. It encompasses the fantasy prone personality type – those who engage vigorously in mental fantasy to the point that their own imagination blurs with reality. Susceptibility to hypnosis and suggestion is another important trait that might lead to paranormal beliefs. And finally there is evidence that some people may have more malleable memories than others, and this may specifically lead to false memories supporting paranormal claims.

It is interesting to consider why such vast differences have persisted evolutionarily. The opposite ends of the variability spectrum may be considered sub-populations of humanity. If physically separated they could ultimately define different species. Actually I have been asked (jokingly, I think) if skeptics and believers might become separate species if they don’t mix with each other. Although this is intriguing, human nature being what it is, I think inter-breeding is likely to continue.

I don’t want to venture into the murky waters of evolutionary psychology, but we can consider if the variability persists because there is some advantage at both ends of the spectrum. There is some indication that extreme fantasy proneness comes with the benefit of increased creativity. It is even possible to imagine that in the pre-scientific era such traits might have been an advantage overall.

In a scientific technological society, however, it may also be that the scales are tipping toward the neurologically rational. Believing in nonsense is becoming an increasingly dangerous game.

Again, I don’t think there is one answer to this question. As we will see, some traits exist as a continuum and a balance in the middle may be most adaptive. But with others there appears to be distinct subtypes – likely representing distinct genetic variants. Will one variant win out over the other in the future? Is the conflict between skeptics and believers and evolutionary one as well as cultural? The research is pointing in some interesting directions.