Supernatural operating rules: How people envision and experience God, the devil, ghosts/spirits, fate/destiny, karma, and luck.

How do people decide whether a supernatural entity (God, the devil, ghosts/spirits, fate/destiny, karma, or luck) has intervened in their lives? Their decisions may depend partly on how well the event fits with beliefs about the entity’s supernatural operating rules, such as the entity’s power, scope of communication, and intent. We examined these ideas among undergraduates from three U.S. universities (N = 3840). To assess beliefs about power, we asked questions like these: Do you believe that God has the power to violate natural laws and to work indirectly through nature? Can the devil affect many parts of people’s lives, such as thoughts, relationships, and health? To assess beliefs about scope of communication, we asked about frequency (How often do ghosts/spirits try to communicate with people?), breadth (Does God try to communicate with many people, or just a few?), and modes (Does the devil communicate in multiple ways?). To assess intent, we asked about positive, negative, and justice-maintaining intentions ascribed to the entities. God was clearly seen as most powerful and intentional, with the broadest scope of communication. In most ways, ghosts/spirits were rated least influential. Impersonal forces and the devil were rated between God and ghosts/spirits in terms of influence. Correlations and regressions confirmed that beliefs about power, scope of communication, and intent all predicted more perceived experiences with entities. These findings, coupled with other research on supernatural beliefs and attributions, help to explain why some people perceive high levels of supernatural activity and communication while others do not. (250 words)