Adapted for Religion
Evidence continues to accumulate that one of the key evolutionary adaptations that makes us human is the capacity for religion, which happened at about the same time we got the capacity to invent language.
I am geek by nature. I have been deeply interested in technology since my early teen years and that bloomed into an interest in the human condition. I am not alone, and I have discovered a television channel for people with similar interests, channel 327, known as Tech TV. You won't get it unless you have digital cable TV, but then what geek doesn't?
I have been aware of the connection between language and religion making us human for some time now. I've found more and more other people who are also aware of this connection, particularly Kambiz Zarrabi, who teaches at Oasis and has written a book on the subject, "Necessary Illusion".
Today I watched a very interesting program on the subject.
Realizing that "the religious experience" seems to be concentrated in the temporal lobes, researchers have been using magnetic fields to invoke the sensation of profound religious feeling in volunteers. Other researchers have determined that the areas of the brain used by Buddhists meditating and by Catholics in prayer are the same areas.
Having the capacity to practice religion has been shown to extend life and improve one's chances of survival. In other words, to practice a religion is survival of the fittest. Religion will not die out because having a religion has evolutionary survival value.
That still says nothing about whether any of the religions have any truth in any of what they say or believe. The value is in the capacity to believe and to form communities based on those beliefs.
It doesn't say they are wrong, either. It is simply mute on that question.
I find it highly intriguing that the first animal to develop language improved his survival by evolving the capacity for religion along with the ability to use grammar.
Comments (3)
Well, satellite t.v. customers received Tech TV and many other interesting channels before cable decided they needed to offer a digital product.
BTW, that chatterbox creates more pop-up ads than your standard porn site! It's very annoying.
one of languages features is the ability to ask questions...religion is, for the most part, an attempt to answer those questions...interesting post! I love geeky TV...too bad we don't have it here.
I couldn't find your chatterbox...perhaps you should get Trillion (a multi-chat program including AOL, IRC, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo!) if you want to chat...there are ways to discourage strangers from interrupting your peace.
Congratulations on the new job! I'm wondering why you feel your time is going to be so limited there?
~Spot~
it's easier to slog through the nasty bits of life if you can convince yourself there's a purpose to it.....
and it's hard to disseminate religion without language.
not impossible, i imagine, but difficult.