<p>I have a friend. They believe that God exists because they have experienced a large amount of 'perfect coincidences', or rather, events that are too perfect to be coincidences. </p>

<p>What kind of cognitive bias/fallacy is this? (They assure that it is not the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Availability Heuristic</a> because they remember all coincidences that happened, even the unremarkable ones, but I am not inclined to believe this) Is it confirmation bias? Focusing effect?</p>

<p>Please help.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-10T12:09:48.513Z
Without knowing the specifics of observations made which made him decide these are 'perfect coincidences', it is hard to tell. But, [selection bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selection_bias), in particular 'sampling bias', also comes to mind. If you only include your own experience as a sample, and do not reflect on likelihood of events happening by random chance, then you might unintentionally succumb to selection bias.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-10T12:15:41.337Z
The [observer selection effect](https://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Observation_selection_effect) also seems relevant, which I would classify as a particular form of selection bias (although I am not certain).
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-10T12:37:13.113Z
@Buddha i think what your friend is describing are called a synchronicities. it's a jungian term referring to meaningful coincidences.
faustus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-04T06:29:23.473Z
Similar to: [Term for the tendency to relate events that occurred in proximity?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/26192/7001)
Arnon Weinberg
<bias>
Perfect events in a random world?
Buddha
# Perfect events in a random world?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-12-10)

I have a friend. They believe that God exists because they have experienced a large amount of 'perfect coincidences', or rather, events that are too perfect to be coincidences.

What kind of cognitive bias/fallacy is this? (They assure that it is not the [Availability Heuristic](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic) because they remember all coincidences that happened, even the unremarkable ones, but I am not inclined to believe this) Is it confirmation bias? Focusing effect?

Please help.

**Tags:** bias

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Without knowing the specifics of observations made which made him decide these are 'perfect coincidences', it is hard to tell. But, [selection bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selection_bias), in particular 'sampling bias', also comes to mind. If you only include your own experience as a sample, and do not reflect on likelihood of events happening by random chance, then you might unintentionally succumb to selection bias.  
> **username_1**: The [observer selection effect](https://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Observation_selection_effect) also seems relevant, which I would classify as a particular form of selection bias (although I am not certain).  
> **username_2**: @username_0 i think what your friend is describing are called a synchronicities. it's a jungian term referring to meaningful coincidences.  
> **username_3**: Similar to: [Term for the tendency to relate events that occurred in proximity?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/26192/7001)  

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