Newsweek Mar 10, 2026 at 11:11 AM EDT
By Maria Azzurra Volpe Life and Trends Reporter
Apocalypse fears, once associated with the fringes of society, are now commonplace across North America—and are shaping attitudes towards perceived threats.
New research has revealed just how widespread these beliefs have become, fuelled by climate change, geopolitical instability and rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.
“Belief in the end of the world is surprisingly common across North America, and it’s significantly influencing how people interpret and respond to the most pressing threats facing humanity,” said paper author and social psychologist Matthew I. Billet of the University of California, Irvine in a statement.
Drawing on a survey of more than 3,400 people across the U.S. and Canada, Billet and colleagues found that apocalyptic beliefs are far from rare.
In fact, in a U.S. national sample of 1,409 respondents, nearly one‑third said they believe the world will end within their lifetime.
This new data shows that people think about the end of the world in multiple ways, including when it could happen, what could cause it, and whether it should be feared or welcomed.
In the U.S., these beliefs were strongly linked to how people perceive and respond to global risks like climate change, pandemics, nuclear conflict and emerging technologies.
Science
To understand these perspectives, Billet and his colleagues developed a comprehensive psychological measure of end-of-world beliefs, identifying five key dimensions that matter for how people think and act.
These include perceived closeness (how soon the end will arrive); anthropogenic causality (whether humans will cause it); theogenic causality (whether divine or supernatural forces will cause it); personal control (how much influence one personally has over the outcome); and emotional valence (whether the end will ultimately be good or bad).
“Different narratives people believe about the end of the world can lead to very different responses to societal issues,” said Billet.
“Someone who believes humans are causing the apocalypse through climate change will respond very differently to environmental policy than someone who believes the end times are controlled by divine prophecy.”
The research also uncovered notable differences between religious groups. “Everyone agrees on one thing: We humans play an important role in the fate of our species,” said Billet.
“This was as true for the religious as it was for the non-religious. However, there were also differences between religious denominations that were quite stark. These differences point to how religion—and culture more broadly—can shape how we fundamentally view the world and our collective future.”
The most significant finding of the study may be how these beliefs shape action. Participants were asked about five categories of existential risk identified by the World Economic Forum: economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal, and technological.
Those who believed the end is near—and that it might be caused by humans—perceived higher levels of dangers and supported more extreme measures to the address global threats that humanity is facing.
On the other hand, those who believed divine forces control it, were less likely to support preventive action.
“These differences can create disagreements across cultural groups that make it difficult to coordinate responses to global risks, both within countries and between countries.
“Today, beliefs about accepting the Mark of the Beast from the Last Days undermine efforts at mass vaccination against COVID-19. The dread of climate apocalypse undermines young people’s motivation to tackle climate change and to bring children into this world.”
Instead of dismissing apocalyptic fears as irrational, Billett argues that understanding is essential.
“Whether or not any particular apocalyptic narrative is accurate, they are still consequential for how populations confront concrete risks,” he said.
“If we want to build consensus around addressing climate change, AI safety or pandemic preparedness, we need to understand how different communities are interpreting these threats through their own cultural lenses. In a world facing genuine catastrophic risks, that understanding has never been more important.”
Reference
Billet, M. I., White, C. J. M., Shariff, A., & Norenzayan, A. (2026). End of world beliefs are common, diverse, and predict how people perceive and respond to global risks. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000519