Thoughts of death turn people away from evolution and toward the theory of intelligent design, a Canadian study reveals.

Five separate tests examined the reactions from people with a wide range of backgrounds.

“No previous study has examined whether psychological motives influence the ongoing debate” between evolution and intelligent design, Jessica Tracy, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia wrote in the study, which was published by the Public Library of Science.

“They’re rejecting evolution because of a desire to find greater meaning or a sense to the world,” said Tracy. “It’s much more comforting.”

Intelligent design is creationism restated in scientific terms. In Canada, the study noted, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada in 2006 refused to fund research because there was no proof “that the theory of Evolution and not Intelligent Design, was correct.”

While much support for intelligent design is inspired by conservative political and religious reasons, neither shifted attitudes in the five studies, done with Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. But exposure to writing by cosmologist Carl Sagan about how naturalism can give meaning to life reversed attitudes, said Tracy.

“That suggests people have a desire to find meaning. We were very surprised to get these effects. It’s quite novel to be able to shift people’s views.”

Taken together, she said, the research tells her teachers of evolution need to realize they’re ignoring people’s need for “an existentially compelling solution to life’s origins.” To do so scientists need to recognize one of intelligent design’s compelling attractions is its ability to calm fears of death.

Tracy cautioned the results were small and based on laboratory study, although consistent in all five tests. The researchers now want to examine whether just believing life is meaningless, without being confronted by thoughts of death, would have the same effect.