Paul Storey was born on May 17, 1951, in Seattle, Washington, into a Catholic family that valued both faith and education. His father, Bernard Storey, was a successful executive at Boeing, and both of Paul’s parents were devout Catholics who raised four children in a structured religious environment.

Paul attended Seattle Preparatory School, one of the region’s leading Catholic parochial schools. Even as a young student, however, he showed a strong independent streak and a deep curiosity about the natural world. He eventually left the parochial system to attend public school, where his interests in science and critical thinking flourished.

As a student, Paul gravitated toward analytical pursuits. He joined the chess team and spent countless hours building science projects, including an antigravity globe and a Tesla coil. These early experiments reflected a growing fascination with physics, electronics, and the principles that govern the natural universe. In addition to his academic interests, Paul was also active in athletics, participating in cross-country running in high school, an activity that began a lifelong interest in endurance sports.

Although he continued attending church with his family, Paul increasingly questioned religious doctrine. At age sixteen he asked his parents for permission to stop attending church, beginning a lifelong intellectual journey exploring belief, skepticism, and evidence. Despite their philosophical disagreements, Paul maintained a deep love for his father, and the two engaged in thoughtful debates about religion throughout Bernard’s life.

Paul attended the University of Washington as a pre-med student, completing demanding coursework including organic chemistry and advanced biology classes where he encountered the scientific foundations of evolution. While his interests ultimately led him away from medicine, the rigorous scientific training reinforced his commitment to evidence-based thinking.

He went on to build a long career as an electronics engineer with a defense contractor, designing and developing digital electronics systems. His professional work reflected the same curiosity and problem-solving mindset that had defined his early experiments.

Throughout his life, Paul maintained his commitment to physical fitness and endurance sports, participating in triathlon events over many years. These pursuits reflected the same discipline and persistence that characterized both his professional and intellectual life.

Outside of his engineering career, Paul became deeply involved in the freethought community. He served as President of Atheists and Other Freethinkers (AOF) in Sacramento and co-founded Sacramento Freethinkers and Nonbelievers (Sac FAN). He has also been a longtime supporter of FreeThought Day, helping promote public dialogue about secular values, science, and reason.

Paul co-founded NaturalView, Inc in 2021 with his friend Alex von Allmen. NaturalView is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to helping people re-evaluate religious beliefs and recover from religious trauma.  The organization is curating and presenting the best thinkers discussing science, philosophy, and secular ideas. Through NaturalView, he has helped bring together influential voices from across YouTube and beyond, creating focused video content designed to make thoughtful ideas accessible to a wider audience.

Recent studies suggest that millions of people experience religious trauma or deep psychological conflict related to faith traditions, with some estimates suggesting that up to 35% of the U.S. population struggles with some form of religiously rooted cognitive dissonance. Paul sees NaturalView as a constructive response to this reality—an organization designed to help thoughtful people explore difficult questions, work through inherited beliefs, and engage with science, philosophy, and reason in an open and respectful environment.

Throughout his life, Paul Storey’s path has been shaped by curiosity, intellectual independence, and a commitment to understanding the world through evidence and reason.