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The God Part of the Brain
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:16 am
by Beagle
http://www.pivot.net/~jpierce/God_Part.htm
Humans: the musical animal, the mathematical animal, the emotional animal, is also the "spiritual" animal. In essence, every culture from the dawn of our species has maintained a belief in some form of a "spiritual" reality. Wouldn't this suggest that human spirituality must represent an inherent characteristic of our species, that is, a genetically inherited trait? Furthermore, being that spirituality, just like language, represents a cognitive function, wouldn't this suggest that our "spiritual" consciousness, just like linguistic, must be generated from some specific part within the brain? I informally refer to such a site as the "God" part of the brain, a cluster of neurons from which spiritual cognitions, sensations, and behaviors are generated. How else are we to explain the fact that all human cultures - no matter how isolated - have maintained a belief in some form of a spiritual/transcendental reality, in the concepts of a god, a soul, and an afterlife? How else are we to explain the fact that every human culture has built houses of worship through which to pray to unseen forces? Or that every culture has buried [disposed of] its dead with a rite that anticipates sending the deceased person's "spirit" or soul onward to some next or other plane, what we commonly refer to as an afterlife? Wouldn't the universality with which such perceptions and behaviors are exhibited among our species suggest we might be "hard-wired" this way? How about the fact that every known culture has related undergoing what we refer to a specific set of sensations we refer to as mystical or spiritual experiences
I've alluded to this before, causing some of you to be convinced of my insanity. In fact, it's a book written in '96 by Adler.
My thinking on the subject goes a little beyond what the author proposes. I think those who preach an oppossitional point of view are part of the same spectrum.
I also don't necessarily think that this part of our psyche is organically hard-wired. Our more intelligent brains cause us to understand our own mortality.
Before this authors theory is dismissed by most of you - think about how much the subject of religion has been a part of this forum. Since I joined, hardly a day has gone by that the Bible, God, religion, or some other esoteric form of spirituality has not been discussed.
Remember that I believe that those who spend their time proving that it is all BS are discussing it too.
I'm worn out after a day of watching football, but I'll enjoy discussing the merits of the book tomorrow.
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:57 am
by Manystones
Hi Beagle,
If you check some of my previous posts you'll see that I referred to David Lewis-Williams book "The Mind In The Cave". He puts forward a similar theory about the origin of all religion being based on the "hard-wiring" of the brain which I am inclined to feel is about right. Whether there is a biological centre or a chemical process that controls this aspect is to my mind a moot point with reference to our discussion here, my _feeling_ is that it is simply the way in which we "work".
If anyone is interested I'll happily post more info.
Regards
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:37 am
by marduk
every culture and every animal species on earth submits to the will of something that is stronger
humans as a species wouldn't be here if we hadn't formed social groups with everyone following one leader
the larger the social group the more important the leader needs to be to maintain control
its been bred into us over thousands even millions of years
its nothing to do with hard wiring or the brain
its to do with indocrination
some people are advanced enough to see through it and rise above it
some are condemned to be slaves their whole lives
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:38 am
by Beagle
Manystones wrote:Hi Beagle,
If you check some of my previous posts you'll see that I referred to David Lewis-Williams book "The Mind In The Cave". He puts forward a similar theory about the origin of all religion being based on the "hard-wiring" of the brain which I am inclined to feel is about right. Whether there is a biological centre or a chemical process that controls this aspect is to my mind a moot point with reference to our discussion here, my _feeling_ is that it is simply the way in which we "work".
If anyone is interested I'll happily post more info.
Regards
Please post away Richard. I'm not familiar with that book.
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:00 am
by Beagle
http://www.godpart.com/
Here is the link to the book. It many ways, it made a lot of sense to me.
Re: The God Part of the Brain
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:57 am
by Forum Monk
Beagle wrote:My thinking on the subject goes a little beyond what the author proposes. I think those who preach an oppossitional point of view are part of the same spectrum.
What 'spectrum' are you refering to?
I also don't necessarily think that this part of our psyche is organically hard-wired. Our more intelligent brains cause us to understand our own mortality.
Marduk wrote:every culture and every animal species on earth submits to the will of something that is stronger
humans as a species wouldn't be here if we hadn't formed social groups with everyone following one leader
The two statements above may be related if the fact of our mortality is the 'strong man'. IMHO the herd instinct which blindly follows a leader due to some wired-in predisposition is not the issue and it is not a cultural influence. Slavery can not be the cultural norm or else there would be a lot fewer conflicts. Something else is at work here.
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:03 am
by Beagle
What 'spectrum' are you refering to?
The spectrum that includes all humans - from creationist to atheist, from wiccan to agnostic, etc. According to this author, we're all on the same merry-go-round.
This also includes those who see esoteric and mystical meaning to the world around them.
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:12 pm
by stan
its been bred into us over thousands even millions of years
its nothing to do with hard wiring or the brain
BUt, marduk, "breeding" is "hardwiring". i.e., genetics.
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:21 pm
by marduk
BUt, marduk, "breeding" is "hardwiring".
so being bought up to respect your parents changed your brain in some manner
dry that one out and you can fertilise your lawn with it
there is a difference between nurture and nature
nature does the hardwiring
nurture does the respect to your elders
what is god if not the ultimate in old people
hes completely senile though
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:31 pm
by Manystones
Apologies for the delay in coming back to you Beagle, I wanted to check my memory against the book.
First of I need to state that I do not agree with many of the conclusions/theories put forward in this book including the idea that the emergence of art during the Palaeolithic was confined to Cro-Magnons.
Secondly I have struggled tonight to put together something that a)did justice to DLW’s work and did not misrepresent it, and b) distanced myself from a lot of what he suggests and still failed but here goes…
Concepts of a tiered universe are, of course, not restricted to shamanistic religions. Heaven above, Hell below, and the level of anxious humanity inbetween appear in one form or another across the globe. Why should this be so? In the materiality of daily life there is, after all, no evidence whatsoever of hidden spiritual realms above and below. The answer to this question is, I argue, to be found in a set of widely reported mental experiences…
He suggests that the brain has a limited range of neurological responses (i.e. different states of consciousness, awake, daydreaming, hypnotic or trance like, visionary, etc) and consequently explanations/interpretations (read religion) thereof.
Anyway - I just thought there was a similarity with the quote you provided.
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:48 pm
by Beagle
Thanks Richard. Sounds interesting but I think I agree with you. Got a link to the book?
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:06 pm
by Forum Monk
marduk wrote:
what is god if not the ultimate in old people
Maybe ancestor worship was the natural result, following your line of reasoning.
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:30 pm
by marduk
we are raised to respect those older and wiser than we are
the image of god propogated by most modern religions fills that gap nicely
the gods of the ancient world weren't always like that
although they were always older
they weren't always wiser
but then the dumb ones just emphasised the cleverness of the rest
YHWH would be nothing without Lucifer to make him shine
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:15 pm
by Forum Monk
Marduk - your Lucifer / YHWH constrast is interesting - lets put it that way. Though Lucifer means 'Shining One' or something similar. Also, the claim of Jesus Christ as God defies your reasoning since he is younger and brotherly rather than old and paternal. Christianity is therefore founded on a somewhat different mental point of view.
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:32 pm
by marduk
not if you know anything about deity history
if you want an explanation thats cool just ask but it might take some time and run to pages