For me, not believing in any kind of gods means not believing in any other kind of supernatural nonsense either, and asking for evidence when extravagant claims are made. I think the psychology of why some people need to believe in 'something out there' even if they claim to be atheists is very interesting and I would love to read more about it. Books I have come across about the psychology of belief tend to focus only on why religious believers override their rationality. Anyone come across a book about supernaturalist atheists?

Einstein taught us that all matter is a form of energy, so since energy can neither be created nor destroyed, we have always existed and will always exist in some energy form.

No reason to think energy souls or entities don't exist, and quantum physics already tells us different dimensions exist.

"For physicists, the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." -Einstein

@DavidLaDeau It is interesting that more people here are not concerned that, according to these figures, nearly a quarter of atheists may believe in new age nonsense. One point: I don't know if this includes agnostics and atheists, as agnostics seem more inclined to this nonsense than atheists, from my experience.

Apparently, belief in virgin births, miracles, zombie Jesus, Stars hovering over Bethlehem and God parting oceans, is ludicrous, but cosmic consciousness, Astro travellers, karmic interventions, and cosmic kitties in space is just fine because it's not "harmful" and anyway, it might just be true. Really.

Any time one believes in something that is not real there is a potential for harm.

From what I have read about neural development and the evolution of consciousness, a religious belief system of some kind, or spiritual explanations for puzzling or incomprehensible phenomena, is a kind of default setting for the human brain. Just as children have to outgrow simplistic black-and-white, either/or thinking, adults CAN outgrow the need for spiritual explanations for the incomprehensible things in life, but not all of them do, or want to. Apparently, ascribing spiritual explanations to some things (i. e. Why did my baby die?) makes life more tolerable than not doing so. Also, it's entirely possible that giving up spirituality in all its many manifestations drains some of the color and joy from life. Exhibit A: Jean Paul Sartre and his existential world view.

to tell people what they should or shouldn't hasn't convinced anyone yet. you don't have to sign on other people's world view. as long as they don't do any harm - what's the problem?

I think you need to lighten up.

I believe in new age shat as far as consciousness on mater, power of attraction, meditation and chakras (as a classification system of me as a system...kinda like the OSI model in computer science). I have seen theories about the ancient pyramids being microwave transmitters, ancient aliens, etc. While I'm not shooting messages to E.T., Im not so arrogant to think that we know all there is to know.