Our brains have evolved to make quick decisions that are right most of the time as opposed to slower, more reflective, decisions that are right slightly more often. They are optimised for biological survival not for apprehending “Truth”. So we have a cognitive bias against recognising randomness and towards supernatural beliefs.
Chris French is the head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, as well as being a distinguished supporter of the British Humanist Association and a member of the Scientific and Professional Advisory Board of the British False Memory Society.
