Some scholars think that negative emotional states are the most common cause of religious conversion. Indeed, religion can provide comfort during times of depression, anxiety, or hardship. However, the academic community is divided on the issue, with many arguing that we have a biological disposition for religious belief that has nothing to do with prior mood. The cognitive biases that might give us this innate disposition include the need to attribute agency to certain types of events (e.g., "gremlins" in our machines or "lady luck") as well as a curiosity for stories that violate our expectations about the world (e.g., gods that are everywhere at once).
