Citation

Positive schizotypy (reality distortion), and other components of transliminality, may constitute a genetic balanced polymorphism in which the disadvantageous effects of conditions associated with extreme ends of the trait dimension are balanced by advantages associated with more moderate levels of trait expression. Positive schizotypy and creativity are associated with mating success. The relatives of psychotic individuals have elevated schizotypy levels, and one recent study reported that the relatives of psychotics have greater fecundity. The evolution of beliefs in God, spirit, and paranormal phenomena may be mediated not by reduced death anxiety, but rather by a set of interrelated adaptive traits including

creativity, positive schizotypy, and hypnotizability, which are components of the superordinate trait dimension of transliminality. Paranormal beliefs are related to paranormal experiences as well as paranormal abilities, which, if veridical, would have direct adaptive advantage. Correlates of paranormal abilities overlap with component characteristics of transliminality. Beliefs in spiritual and paranormal phenomena may have evolved simply because such beliefs are in some manner true, and the associated traits and abilities are highly adaptive.