Why do people believe in conspiracies, ghosts, or hidden forces? In this episode, we tackle belief formation from pattern-seeking to emotional comfort. Science helps explain how and why beliefs spread—even strange ones.Powered by NotebookLM AI.Sources:Douglas, Karen, Sutton, Robbie M. (2023) What are conspiracy theories? A definitional approach to their correlates, consequences and communication.https://kar.kent.ac.uk/96266/van Prooijen JW, Douglas KM, De Inocencio C. Connecting the dots: Illusory pattern perception predicts belief in conspiracies and the supernatural. Eur J Soc Psychol. 2018 Apr;48(3):320-335. doi: 10.1002/ejsp.2331. Epub 2017 Sep 25. PMID: 29695889; PMCID: PMC5900972.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5900972Dagnall N, Denovan A, Drinkwater KG and Escolà-Gascón Á (2025) Paranormal belief and conspiracy theory endorsement: variations in adaptive function and positive wellbeing. Front. Psychol. 16:1519223. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1519223https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1519223/pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.comSound Track:https://pixabay.com/music/funk-fun-upbeat-pop-funk-pop-groove-party-215688/