Sinan Alper2025-10-06202119485506, 194855141948-55061948-551410.1177/1948550620923233https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85087403117&doi=10.1177%2F1948550620923233&partnerID=40&md5=b605106de114c09dd6f5a24a4c55749ehttps://gcris.yasar.edu.tr/handle/123456789/8983Recent research suggested that illness-related search predicts religious search on Google. In the current research I aimed to replicate this finding and investigate whether such association depends on the existing level of religiosity. In Study 1 I reanalyze an existing data set on search behavior for 630 consecutive weeks and show that although illness-related search predicts religious search in 16 different countries this association does not depend on the religiosity level of the countries. The same finding was replicated in within-nation comparisons of the U.S. states (Study 2) and Turkish provinces (Study 3). In all studies during a period of 235 consecutive weeks illness-related search predicted religious search but the differences in religiosity among regions did not influence this association which arguably might not be consistent with the terror management theory. I argue that such a finding shows the necessity of considering all alternative theories when interpreting the effects of mortality salience. © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.EnglishDeath, Illness, Mortality Salience, Religion, Terror Management TheoryArticle