Is karma real or just pattern recognition?

Karma is not proven as a supernatural force of cosmic justice. What people usually call karma is often pattern recognition, confirmation bias, and the just-world bias: we notice the times someone “gets what they deserve” and ignore the times life is random.

But karma is very real in a practical sense. Actions have consequences through human behavior and social networks. Kind, fair people tend to build trust and get support later. Selfish or dishonest people often damage relationships, create stress, and make worse decisions, which can lead to bad outcomes.

So the short answer is: not cosmic punishment, but real cause and effect.