I was reading this article in The Atlantic, and my mind almost immediately went to the religious. The symptoms, as it were, are so similar. I decided to write a post here, but I figured I’d perform a quick Google search, and it turns out that I am not the only one seeing the connexion.

It turns out that there seems to be an overlap, that seems to be related to the same cognitive processes. This is further supported in this Frontiers in Psychology journal entry (PDF). Moreover, some have asked, Are Conspiracy Theories a Surrogate for God?

Even the CBC asks, Are conspiracy theories really ‘a new religion’? I am tempted to say yes.

People who endorse conspiracy theories tend to be more religious, and this may be due to ideological overlap

However, other studies have seen only a relationship between religiosity and certain conspiracy theories, which feels about right to me. There also seems to be a difference between the religious in the United States and the rest of the world. This feels right, too.

I don’t really have much to add beyond my initial reaction and brief supporting confirmation bias. My goal is not to answer this question. For some, the answer may seem obvious. As for me, I don’t really care. I’ll remain agnostic in both instances.