Spectrum of belief

 

Here we go again. I have a faint memory that we covered this once before? Anecdotal evidence seems to point in the same direction. 

Are autistic people more likely to be atheists?

Yes — there is evidence that autistic people are more likely to identify as atheists or non-religious, though, like with IQ and religiosity, it’s nuanced and not absolute. Here’s a breakdown:

---

1. Research Findings

• Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) suggests that religion is partly rooted in what’s called a “hyperactive agency detection device” (HADD) — the intuitive tendency to perceive minds, intentions, or agents behind events.

  • Autistic people, on average, show reduced sensitivity to social agency (less intuitive attribution of human-like minds to events).

  • This may make them less inclined toward religious belief, which often involves unseen intentional agents (gods, spirits).

• Study: Cognitive and Religious Beliefs in Autism (Norenzayan et al., 2012)

  • Found that higher autism-spectrum traits correlated with lower belief in God.

  • Autistic adults were more likely to self-identify as atheists compared to neurotypical controls.

• UK-based studies (2017–2019)

  • Surveys of autistic adults found higher rates of atheism and agnosticism than in the general population.

  • Also found more skepticism toward organized religion, though some still described themselves as “spiritual but not religious.”

• Large-scale 2021 study (Stewart et al., Religion, Brain & Behavior)

  • Confirmed that autistic traits predict lower likelihood of religious belief.

  • Suggested the effect is partly explained by differences in mentalizing ability (theory of mind).

---

2. Explanations

• Reduced Theory of Mind: Autistic individuals often find it harder to infer hidden thoughts or intentions; belief in invisible, intentional gods may be less intuitive.

• Preference for systemizing over empathizing: Autistic cognition often favors logical, structured explanations over intuitive or social ones, which makes secular or scientific worldviews more appealing.

• Social context: Religion is often community-based; since autistic people sometimes feel excluded from group rituals/social bonding, religion may be less compelling.

---

3. Important Caveats

• Not all autistic people are atheists: Some are very religious, sometimes attracted to highly structured traditions (e.g., ritual-heavy forms of Christianity, Judaism, or Hinduism).

• Variation by culture: In highly religious societies, autistic people may still identify with religion (though sometimes in less conventional ways).

• Autistic spirituality: Some autistic people develop strong, highly individualistic forms of spirituality, even if they reject mainstream religion.

---

✅ Summary

• Yes: Autistic people are, on average, more likely to be atheists or agnostics than neurotypical people.

• Why: Likely due to differences in theory of mind, reduced intuitive agency detection, and preference for systematic explanations.

• But: There’s a lot of diversity — many autistic individuals still find meaning in religion or spirituality, often in unique or non-mainstream ways.

---

Would you like me to also contrast this with how ADHD or other neurodiverse conditions correlate with religiosity? (Since some conditions show very different patterns than autism.)

Yes.

Great — let’s compare autism with ADHD (and touch briefly on a couple of other neurodiverse conditions) in terms of religiosity and atheism.

---

Autism & Religiosity

• More likely to be atheists or agnostics than the general population.

• Tied to reduced intuitive theory of mind and less automatic belief in unseen intentional agents.

• Preference for systematic, logical explanations makes secular/scientific outlooks attractive.

• But: some autistic individuals are very religious, often drawn to highly structured ritual traditions (e.g., Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, Hasidic Judaism, ritualistic Hinduism).

---

ADHD & Religiosity

• The picture looks very different from autism.

• ADHD is often correlated with higher religiosity rather than lower.

  • A 2015 study (Journal of Attention Disorders) found that people with ADHD reported more frequent religious experiences and stronger belief in God than controls.

  • Other research suggests ADHD traits predict stronger involvement in charismatic or Pentecostal forms of Christianity, where spontaneity, intensity, and emotionality are valued.

• Explanations:

  • Impulsivity & novelty-seeking → attraction to emotionally intense worship.

  • Community & structure → religious groups can provide support for those struggling with ADHD-related challenges.

• That said, ADHD individuals may also switch religions more often, since stability and long-term ritual discipline can be harder to sustain.

---

Other Neurodiverse Conditions

• Dyslexia: Very little research connecting dyslexia with religiosity; differences seem more about learning style than belief.

• Bipolar disorder: Not “neurodiverse” in the strict sense, but studies show higher frequency of religious or mystical experiences, especially during manic or hypomanic states.

• Schizophrenia-spectrum conditions: Often associated with heightened religiosity or mystical interpretations, sometimes leading to intense personal spiritual experiences — but these can also be destabilizing.

---

Summary

• Autism → More likely atheistic / nonreligious; drawn to logic, systemizing, or ritual-heavy traditions if religious.

• ADHD → More likely religious; drawn to expressive, emotional, or charismatic forms of worship.

• Other conditions → Effects vary: some increase mystical or spiritual experiences (bipolar, schizophrenia), others show little systematic effect (dyslexia).

---

Would you like me to map this onto future religious trends (e.g., if rising autism/ADHD diagnoses might shift the balance of religious vs secular outlooks in society)?