Four studies involving a total of 2,356 people from various countries and many religions demonstrate that two factors, a personal tendency to become absorbed in sensory experiences and a cultural model of the mind that emphasizes porosity or permeability between the mind and the world, explain why some people are more likely than others to experience gods and spirits.
Article #20-16649: "Sensing the presence of gods and spirits across cultures and faiths," by Tanya Marie Luhrmann, Kara Weisman, et al.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Tanya Marie Luhrmann, Stanford University, CA; tel: 650-521-1243; email: < luhrmann@stanford.edu >; Kara Weisman, University of California at Riverside, CA, tel: 978-407-9145; email: kweisman@stanford.edu
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences