Losing Your Religion: Analytic Thinking Can Undermine Belief

People who are intuitive thinkers are more likely to be religious, but getting them to think analytically even in subtle ways decreases the strength of their belief, according to a new study in Science.

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Analytic thinking undermines belief because, as cognitive psychologists have shown, it can override intuition. And we know from past research that religious beliefs—such as the idea that objects and events don’t simply exist but have a purpose—are rooted in intuition. “Analytic processing inhibits these intuitions, which in turn discourages religious belief,” [British Columbia psychologist, Ara] Norenzayan explains.

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Christopher Hitchens: Memorial Service for Vanity Fair Videos

In Part One of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, Graydon Carter welcomed attendees and speakers James Fenton, Lawrence Krauss, Edwin Blue, Patrick Cockburn, Max McGuinness, Aimée Bell, Michael Zilkha, Victor Navasky, and Tom Stoppard.

In Part Two of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, Christopher Buckley read from Hitch-22, followed by speeches from Peter Schneider, Thomas Mallon, James Wood, Leslie Cockburn, and Patrick Cockburn.

In Part Three of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, Sean Penn, Salman Rushdie, Olivia Wilde, Douglas Brinkley, Cary Goldstein spoke.

In Part Four of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, John Auchard, Steve Wasserman, Stephen Fry, Ian McEwen, and Francis Collins spoke.

In Part Five of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, members of his family spoke including Edwin Blue, Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, Peter Hitchens, and Carol Blue.

Christopher Hitchens: Remembered by Vanity Fair (VIDEO)

In a short film presented to attendees of the April 20, 2012, memorial for Christopher Hitchens, documentarian Alex Gibney showcased the wit and spectacular accomplishments of the late Vanity Fair contributing editor.

Watch video here  . . .