From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Mon Sep 06 1999 - 16:16:46 MDT
Robert J. Bradbury wrote:
>Force them back until they are confronted with the paradox of their
>position (they can't prove (get universal acceptance) of their beliefs),
>then offer them an alternative.
In further support of your comments (I did read the whole message)
pertaining to why people hold superstitious beliefs, I've posted the
follwing outline which cites (possible) neurological explanations as well.
from an outline of _THE "GOD" PART OF THE BRAIN: A SCIENTIFIC INTERPRETATION
OF HUMAN SPIRITUALITY AND GOD_, by Matthew Alper
http://www.godpart.com/
THE PREMISE
For every trait which is universal to a species, there must exist
some gene or set of genes which is responsible for the emergence of that
particular trait. For example, the fact that all cats possess whiskers means
that somewhere within a cat's chromosomes there must exist "whisker" genes.
Of our own species, that all humans possess two eyes on our face means that
somewhere within our chromosomes there must exist "eye" genes which instruct
our emerging bodies to develop two eyes, in that very place. It's not, for
instance, as if eyes can develop anywhere on our bodies, only, by mere
coincidence, always end up on our faces. Apparently, humans are genetically
"hard-wired" to develop in a very specific and particular way.
The same principle not only applies to universal physical traits,
but to universal behaviors, as well. For instance, take the fact that all
honeybees construct their hives in the same hexagonal shape. The fact that
all honeybee colonies, regardless of whether they've had exposure to any
other, behave in such an identical fashion means that honeybees must be
"hard-wired" to perform this function, that is, to build their hives in this
particular way. Again, it's not as if honeybees could have built their
hives any way they "pleased," as if it's just a matter of sheer coincidence
that they all built their hives in the same exact way. Apparently,
honeybees are innately, that is, genetically "hard-wired" to construct their
hives in this particular fashion. Somewhere in the honeybees' brains, there
must exist some very specific cluster of neurons which contain genetically
inherited instructions which compel these animals to perform this function
of building hexagonally shaped
hives. In essence, ANY BEHAVIOR WHICH IS UNIVERSAL TO A GIVEN SPECIES MUST
EXIST AS AN INHERENT CHARACTERISTIC OF THAT ORGANISM, THAT IS, AS A
GENETICALLY INHERITED IMPULSE OR INSTINCT.
The above principle not only applies to honeybees, but to all forms
of life, including our own. For instance, the fact that every human
culture - no matter how isolated - has communicated through language would
imply that our species' capacity for language must be genetically inherited.
Being that our capacity for language represents a cerebral or cognitive
function, such
behavior must be generated from somewhere within our organ, the brain. In
other words, there must exist some part or group of parts - some cluster of
neurons - within our brains from which our linguistic capacities are
generated.
As we know such "linguistic" sites do exist in the brain and include
the Wernicke's area, Broca's area, and angular gyrus, as examples. Damage
incurred to any one of these "language" specific sites will impair some very
specific part of one's linguistic capacities. What this clearly
demonstrates is that our linguistic capacities (our ability to speak and
comprehend words) are directly related to our physiological make-ups.
Furthermore, this supports the idea that, for every cross-cultural behavior
our species exhibits, there must exist some specific site within the brain
from which that particular behavior is generated.
As this same principle applies to all of our cross-cultural
behaviors, should we not also apply it to spirituality? Every known culture
from the dawn of our species has maintained a belief in some form of a
"spiritual" reality. Wouldn't this, therefore, 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, that is, one which
originates from within the brain, wouldn't this suggest that our "spiritual"
perceptions, just like our linguistic ones, must be generated from some very
specific physical site within our brain? I informally refer to this site as
the "God" part of the brain, a cluster of neurons from which our universal
spiritual cognitions, perceptions, behaviors, and sentiments are generated.
How else are we to explain the fact that all human cultures have
maintained a belief in the existence of a spiritual/transcendental reality,
a god or gods, a soul, as well as an afterlife? How else are we to explain
the fact that every human culture has built houses of worship in which to
pray to such unseen spiritual forces? Or that every known culture has
buried (disposed) of its deceased with a rite that anticipates sending the
dead person's "spiritual" component, or what we call a soul, onward to some
next or other plane of existence, on to some form of an afterlife? Wouldn't
the universality with which such behaviors are exhibited in our species
suggest that we must be physiologically "hard-wired" to behave in such ways?
How about the fact that every known culture has related, and in similar
terms, undergoing, what we refer to as, spiritual experiences? Perhaps we
are "hard-wired" to experience such sentiments as well... Just as all
honeybees are compelled to construct hexagonallyshaped hives, perhaps humans
are compelled to perceive a spiritual reality...as a reflex, an instinct!
Essentially, what I'm suggesting is that humans are innately
"hard-wired" to perceive a spiritual reality. We are "wired" to believe
that there exist forces which transcend the limitations of this, our
physical world. Most controversial of all, if what I'm suggesting is
correct, it would imply that God is not necessarily something which exists
"out there," beyond and independent of us, but rather as the product of an
inherited perception, the manifestation of a biological evolutionary
adaptation, a "spiritual" cognitive function, which exists exclusively in
human brains.
And why would our species have evolved such a seemingly abstract
trait? In order to enable us to deal with our unique and otherwise
debilitating awareness of death! Let me explain...
With the dawn of human intelligence, for the first time in the
history of terrestrial life, an organism could point its powers of
perception back upon its own being; it could recognize its own self as an
object. For the first time, when an animal went to drink from the watering
hole, it could recognize the image beneath it as its own reflection. In
essence, only humans possess the advanced capacity for self-conscious
awareness. Though this ability has, in many ways, made our species the most
versatile creature on earth, it also represents the source of our greatest
affliction. The reason for this is because, once we became aware of the
fact that we exist, we became equally aware of the fact that one day we
might not. And not just might not, mind you, but will not! All we had to
do was to look around us to see that death represented our inevitable and
inescapable fates. Worse yet, not only did we now recognize that death was
inevitable but, furthermore, that it can come at any given moment.
Suddenly, with the advent of our species, with the emergence of
self-conscious awareness, a life form became cognizant of the fact that it
is going to die!
All life is "hard-wired" to avoid things which constitute a threat
to its existence. An animal gets too close to fire and it reflexivelly
pulls away. It is this negative stimulus, this experience we call pain,
which prompts all life forms to avoid such potential threats to their
existences. Pain, therefore, is like nature's electric prod which incites us
to avoid those things which may jeopardize our existences.
In the "higher" animals, most particularly amongst the mammals,
threatening circumstances elicit a particular type of painful experience
which we refer to as anxiety. Anxiety constitutes a particular type of pain
response which is meant to prompt these higher order animals to avoid
potentially hazardous circumstances. For example, a rabbit is cornered by a
mountain lion. In such a situation, the rabbit is pumped with adrenaline,
charged with painful anxiety, all meant to incite the rabbit to most
effectively escape from the source of its discomfort, it's anxiety, in this
case, the mountain lion. In its healthy form, anxiety is meant to prompt an
animal to escape a potentially hazardous experience. The problem here was
that once our species became aware of the fact that death was not only
inescapable but that it could occur at any given instant, our species was
left in a state of constant mortal peril, of unceasing painful anxiety -
rabbits perpetually cornered by a mountain lion from which there is no
escape. In essence, with the emergence of self-conscious awareness, humans
became the dysfunctional animal, rendered helpless by an inherent anxiety
disorder. Unless nature could somehow relieve us of this debilitating
awareness of certain death, it's very likely that our species would have
soon become extinct. It suddenly became critical that our animal be
modified in some way that would allow us to keep our vast intelligence,
while enabling us to deal with our unique awareness of our own mortalities,
of death.
Here lies the origin of the spiritual function, an adaptation which
nature selected in our brains throughout the course of hominid evolution
until we percieved reality in such a way as to believe that though our
physical bodies perish, a part of us - our "spirits" or "souls" - will
continue to survive for all eternity. Only once our species was instilled
with this inherent perception were we able to overcome the debilitating
anxiety which came with our awareness of inevitable death.
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