Tommy Coleman III

My current research explores the enduring psychological connections between religion, nonreligion, and the capacity for imagination. While the theoretical aspects of this relationship are wont, empirical investigation is lacking. Rather than assume religious and nonreligious representations exist as psychologically distinct phenomena within the imagination, I’m utilizing the most current evolutionary thinking and cognitive science to test this assumption. Therefore, my approach breaks down the cultural dichotomies that exist between things typically deemed religious (e.g., Jesus, prayer, synagogue attendance) and nonreligious (e.g., Harry Potter, Cosplay, video gaming). Moreover, my research will uncover how proximal or distal the psychological consequences of engagement with a wide range of imaginative agents and worlds are from each other.