Humans are pattern-seeking animals.¬† Get fixated on something: hexagons, conspiracies, the Hand of God, and you begin to see it everywhere.¬† As a religious studies scholar who specializes in ritual, I see ritual everywhere: at Starbucks, in the vegan dietary code, when the boss says, “I want to see you in my office” without telling you why.

So pick a random pattern today.¬† Read your horoscope.¬† Open your Bible, roll a die, crack a fortune cookie or do a random Google search.¬† Then make a conscious effort to find patterns that reinforce it–does it seem like the universe is willing it?

To tell you the truth, I’m not sure how this experiment will go.¬† I have a hunch, but maybe it’s part of my own pattern-seeking.