Salafism has come into focus in research as a trend among Muslims in the contemporary world, and even as a new religious movement, particularly after the 2001 attacks on WTC and consequent "war on terror" and the emergence of a Salafi political movement in the wake of the Arab spring. Attempts at explaining the apparent popularity and attraction of Salafism in diverse social settings often take on a particularistic character, pointing to specific local circumstances. However, in this paper I suggest that in addition to social, economic and political ”macro-factors”, there may be certain generally human cognitive and psychological ”micro-factors” to consider as well. Such potential ”micro-factors” of a Salafi cultural ”epidemiology” are discussed in relation to three recurring features in ideology and practices of a ”prototypical Salafism”: deference to the literal content of the scriptures, a stress on purity (bodily, moral and ideological) and the Islamisation of everyday life.