Do humans have a faith instinct?

[Pico and ME]

I remember trying to 'believe' when I was little. I grew up in an atheist household but everyone else around me had 'faith'. So sometimes, lying in bed, I would practice believing with all my heart...just in case they were right. Even at that age, I felt really silly doing it. It just wasnt there for me, it was like trying to believe in Santa Claus after you were fully aware that he was a made up creation. In fact, in my young mind, it was knowing that Santa and the Tooth Fairy were not real that made it easier to realize that adults were doing the same thing about God.