Reality of experiences

When you look back at your experiences, you tend to color them differently. Reasons could be many. I doubt those versions are authentic in terms of what you really felt and why you did what you did. Perhaps, diaries give you a better picture than narrations that depend on memory and status quo

Escapism

When you distance yourself from reality then tokenism, symbolism can please you which otherwise would seem petty and inconsequential. Some people believe in miracles. Miracle do happen but placing your bet on miracles can indicate either of the two things - you are helpless with no alternative or you are foolish. Former is rare, latter is more often observed.