Probability Neglect
We often misjudge randomness. Rare events feel special, even if they're statistically inevitable over time. Example: A cancer patient recovers spontaneously—this happens occasionally, but people may interpret it as divine intervention rather than rare biology.
Confirmation Bias
We seek out evidence that supports what we already believe. If someone already believes in miracles, they’ll notice “miraculous” events and ignore mundane explanations. This works both ways—sceptics may dismiss unusual events too quickly.
Existential and Emotional Needs
In times of crisis, grief, or awe, we long for meaning, comfort, and control. Miraculous interpretations can reduce anxiety, provide hope, and make suffering feel part of a larger plan. In other words: we're motivated to believe in supernatural explanations, especially when they give emotional payoff.
Cognitive Dissonance Reduction
If someone prays fervently and then sees a positive outcome, they may need to believe the prayer “worked” to avoid dissonance. This reinforces belief in supernatural intervention as emotionally and psychologically satisfying.
These biases do not mean that miracles do not happen but it does mean that they happen a lot less frequently than we might believe and we need to be very careful in ascribing events to special intervention when they are most likely the outworking of the laws of nature.
False interpretation of events as miracles or as natural
Many events occur which appear as if they must have been caused by an external agent, maybe a supernatural one, which are in fact simply the outworking of the Laws of Nature.
Likewise, some events occur which are believed to be purely natural but are, in fact, caused by the intentional action of an agent.
Misattributions like this can happen for a number of reasons such as prior beliefs or wishful thinking and produce both false positives and false negatives.
A number of well known reasons why people might attribute falsely are the following:
Agency Detection (HADD – Hyperactive Agency Detection Device)
Our brains evolved to detect intentional agents—whether it’s a predator, another person, or a spirit. It's safer to assume something has intent (false positive) than to miss a real threat. So when something surprising happens (e.g., a disease suddenly heals), people may jump to “Who caused this?”—and the answer may be God, spirits, fate, etc.
"Better to mistake a rustling bush for a tiger than to ignore a real one."
Pattern Recognition (Apophenia)
Humans are natural pattern-makers. We’re always looking for meaning in chaos. This can lead to seeing connections that aren't there, like: “I prayed and then I got the job—must be a miracle.”