Pascal Boyer

Pascal Boyer is a cognitive anthropologist who studies how the human mind understands and processes religious beliefs and supernatural ideas. He explores why certain concepts—like spirits, gods, and miracles—are universally familiar across cultures. Boyer suggests that our mental tools for understanding the world naturally make religious ideas memorable and compelling, even if they seem irrational. His work combines psychology and anthropology to explain how our brains are wired to generate and sustain religious thoughts, helping us understand the common features of religious beliefs worldwide and their staying power.