Human beings have always been fascinated with “secrets” through which power is attained, riches gained, and success assured. Our belief in secrets and its natural cousins, conspiracies and superstitions, often appears when we are under stress, dealing with matters seemingly outside our control. According to Science Magazine, humans in those situations have increased illusory pattern perception, creating nonexistent causal links and correlations in an unconscious effort to rationalize the outcome and affirm ourselves. More »