From: Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Date: Fri Feb 26 1999 - 23:17:58 MST
> Spike Jones <spike66@ibm.net> writes:
> >
> > As much as I hate to admit it, humans seem to have an instinctive
> > tendency to worship something. That is not to say that all humans
> > have this, but many do, and I must admit I myself feel the pull.
>
> Anders Sandberg wrote: I wonder what it is.
I do too Anders.
> The genetic explanation is simplistic and simply
> skirts the issue: what systems in our brains produce an urge to
> worship, and why?
I have a notion that I tried once before, but it didnt catch on: that
the first societies to invent god acheived a military advantage. the
alpha male could more successfully talk the others into fighting his
battles, robbing and raping the neighboring village if he could
say god told him to tell them if they died in battle, (or during pillage,
mid-rape, etc) then god would reward generously in the afterlife.
(And would punish in this life and the next, if they failed to
pillage, rape and rob the other village.) The invention of god
*might* be as simple as this: it made for more enthusiastic warriors.
> What real evidence is there for an innate tendency for worship?
Anders, those of us who have it need not even ask the question. {8-[
Before, I used the analogy of worship instinct to homosexuality. That
analogy breaks down if one pushes it too far, but it works in some
ways. For instance, those of us who are straight just dont understand
it, try as we might. But I suggest that sexual orientation is somehow
hard wired, not learned behavior. Instinct. Like worship instinct,
hard wired, not learned. The particular *brand* of religion is learned,
the susceptibility to it is instinct. I think.
I have seen it from the opposite point of view than most extropians:
children of religious parents are born utterly lacking the religion
gene. These parents are often emotionally crushed, self blaming,
etc. Its very sad. No amount of brainwashing will reverse the
condition, and instill the religion meme, if one is born without the
religion gene.
> > Even now, I feel a vacuum in my life that extropianism does not fill
> > (as intellectually fulfilling as it is).
>
> As I see it, we need to find ways of making extropianism or
> transhumanism as emotionally fulfilling as it is intellectually
> fulfilling. I think it can be done, but it is an unusual (i.e. new)
> use for psychology and critical thinking to come up with it.
Dopamine. If we master ways to create the right dopamines, one
should be able to control ones religious beliefs, and sexual orientation
for that matter. Consider: there is a special kind of dopamine that
is associated with religion. I once could literally make myself high
without ingesting chemicals, but by... well never mind how. But if
we could make a pill that releases those feel-good chemicals without
resorting to religion, well, there you have it. Seems like we should
be able to figure out which dopamines go with which activities, and
arrange for them to be released whenever it is appropriate. Then
perhaps Extropianism can be made as fulfilling as religiona and love.
spike
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 15:03:09 MST