Michael Nielsen

A belief isn't a mere choice, something which can be adopted when it seems beneficial. Rather, it is something associated to a genuine, sincere, durable felt conviction.

Much of the purpose of religious practice is to help practitioners believe.

In science, especially, there is a lot of emphasis on truth-determining, and belief-making is underrated, often considered largely instrumental to the process of discovery, and of less intrinsic interest. This underestimation has been a mistake on my part, and one these notes begin the process of rectifying. The belief-making process is tremendously important.

In this sense, the question of deep atheism seems to me religious, despite not involving God.

Regardless of truth, belief-making may be strongly affected by, among other things: repetition; our desire for social acceptance and belonging; the confidence or fluency of the speaker; the use of music, dance, rhythm, and ritual; being delivered by authority.