One thought, our intelligence enables us to see patterns in randomness when in fact nothing is there. Chimps, for instance, cannot imagine patterns embedded in randomness because they have no sense of mind, they cannot visualize internally the idea there might be an active mind behind everything they cannot understand. Their brains are just not sophisticated enough.
Humans on the other hand, can attribute patterns, like thinking a god is giving them special messages in lightning, thunder, volcanoes, earthquakes, floods and so forth.
So 50,000 years ago, a favored son dies and during the burial rituals, lightning blows up a nearby tree, they would come to the conclusion that perhaps the spirit of the dead son is trying to communicate with them or that some kind of god is trying to give them a message that only they can understand,
Understand because they see patterns in randomness, like the randomness of storms and such when in fact they are in fact TOTALLY random.
It is our innate intelligence that causes us to see patterns where there are none so things that happen causes people who feel they have no control over their lives to see patterns where there are none and to feel they are in the presence of some godhead or other when the whole rapture effect is totally inside their own brains. That area is called the "temporal parietal junction' one on each side of the brain. That area can be stimulated in many ways to give yourself an out of body experience for instance, experiments with virtual reality goggles and touch has shown the brain can be fooled into thinking its own location is not where it is in reality.
All that takes place inside the brain and that tells me that is the seat of religious feelings, which can be regularly induced with several different kinds of stimulation.
Take a look at this site:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/afterlife/science-life-after-death1.htm
Religious folks are totally, lifelongly convinced they are communicating with a god and it is communicating back but it is all inside their own brains. Non believers have totally different internal brain scans from the totally religious.
Bottom line: Religious folks are completely duped by their own intelligence when in fact there is only randomness in the world but because they are to the last person feeling they by themselves have no control over their lives, give their lives over to an imagined deity.
If people understood that and were able to shuck the shackles of simulated religious feelings, they can finally grow up and be adults which as a race, we are not even close.
Originally posted by sonhouseWhere can I get some of that stuff you're smoking?
One thought, our intelligence enables us to see patterns in randomness when in fact nothing is there. Chimps, for instance, cannot imagine patterns embedded in randomness because they have no sense of mind, they cannot visualize internally the idea there might be an active mind behind everything they cannot understand. Their brains are just not sophisticate ...[text shortened]... gious feelings, they can finally grow up and be adults which as a race, we are not even close.
Originally posted by sonhouseDo you believe that the brain or mind of a non-religious person is superior to that of a religious person or vice versa?
One thought, our intelligence enables us to see patterns in randomness when in fact nothing is there. Chimps, for instance, cannot imagine patterns embedded in randomness because they have no sense of mind, they cannot visualize internally the idea there might be an active mind behind everything they cannot understand. Their brains are just not sophisticate ...[text shortened]... gious feelings, they can finally grow up and be adults which as a race, we are not even close.
The instructor
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Originally posted by sonhousegreat post. the evidence just keeps stacking up in sciences corner. i was listening to a pod cast of the infinite monkey cage where they were discussing the % of gdp america and britain spend on science research. even though the money brought back by the sciences is stupidly high, governments are still reluctant to spend because the public (who on the whole are ignorant) still see research as a waste of time. they are unable to make the connection between research on the end products they see in life. as if flat screen tv's, new breakthrough medicines and graphene just magically appear. they were saying whats holding us back more than anything is lack of funding (both the us and britain were under 1% of their gdp, although the u.s. spent 2% to get to the moon, but made a fortune off all the technology they invented to get there).
One thought, our intelligence enables us to see patterns in randomness when in fact nothing is there. Chimps, for instance, cannot imagine patterns embedded in randomness because they have no sense of mind, they cannot visualize internally the idea there might be an active mind behind everything they cannot understand. Their brains are just not sophisticate ...[text shortened]... gious feelings, they can finally grow up and be adults which as a race, we are not even close.
sorry, not directly linked to the op, but i think their is a similar mentality when it comes to religion. its easier for some people to understand as its simple and ordered as apposed to the super complex mainly unknowns of science.
Originally posted by sonhouseit is because humans have a spirituality and no amount of materialism can negate the fact.
One thought, our intelligence enables us to see patterns in randomness when in fact nothing is there. Chimps, for instance, cannot imagine patterns embedded in randomness because they have no sense of mind, they cannot visualize internally the idea there might be an active mind behind everything they cannot understand. Their brains are just not sophisticate ...[text shortened]... gious feelings, they can finally grow up and be adults which as a race, we are not even close.
Originally posted by sonhouseYes, but sometimes the patterns we see really do exist. If they didn't, we wouldn't be able to predict many of the things we can predict scientifically. So, you may wish that we suppress our imagination, but that may stunt our growth towards 'adulthood' as much or more than the religions you despise.
One thought, our intelligence enables us to see patterns in randomness when in fact nothing is there. Chimps, for instance, cannot imagine patterns embedded in randomness because they have no sense of mind, they cannot visualize internally the idea there might be an active mind behind everything they cannot understand. Their brains are just not sophisticate ...[text shortened]... gious feelings, they can finally grow up and be adults which as a race, we are not even close.
Originally posted by stellspalfieIt is research on obviously stupid things which are wasting our money that the public objects to. They are not objecting to all science research.
great post. the evidence just keeps stacking up in sciences corner. i was listening to a pod cast of the infinite monkey cage where they were discussing the % of gdp america and britain spend on science research. even though the money brought back by the sciences is stupidly high, governments are still reluctant to spend because the public (who on the w ...[text shortened]... nderstand as its simple and ordered as apposed to the super complex mainly unknowns of science.
The Instructor
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Originally posted by RJHinds..........but they do, thats why governments never talk about science funding. the public automatically assume its a waste because they dont understand the benefits of studies, if they dont 'get it' then they assume its a waste of money.........but they are not qualified to 'get it' in the first place.
It is research on obviously stupid things which are wasting our money that the public objects to. They are not objecting to all science research.
The Instructor
Originally posted by robbie carrobieHumans have an APPARENT spirituality, that is for sure. The question is whether it is all in their heads, which I am inclined to believe. The only thing that goes outside our bodies is our electric fields and magnetic fields, we are not TOTALLY inside our bodies, electric studies have proven that, but how far out does that influence go? I don't think it connects to a supernatural world.
it is because humans have a spirituality and no amount of materialism can negate the fact.
Originally posted by sonhouseAnother thought, it came when we lost the ability to fellowship with God
One thought, our intelligence enables us to see patterns in randomness when in fact nothing is there. Chimps, for instance, cannot imagine patterns embedded in randomness because they have no sense of mind, they cannot visualize internally the idea there might be an active mind behind everything they cannot understand. Their brains are just not sophisticate ...[text shortened]... gious feelings, they can finally grow up and be adults which as a race, we are not even close.
personally at the fall of man.
Kelly
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Originally posted by sonhousei think this is where religion invent a whole new science, a science that interacts with our science in a way that leaves no measurable sign of its interaction, a science that god keeps as a personal tool........but how did god create this science? what science did he use to create the science that created the science?
Humans have an APPARENT spirituality, that is for sure. The question is whether it is all in their heads, which I am inclined to believe. The only thing that goes outside our bodies is our electric fields and magnetic fields, we are not TOTALLY inside our bodies, electric studies have proven that, but how far out does that influence go? I don't think it connects to a supernatural world.