Daniel Dennett writes in "Breaking the spell" that philosophy asks questions that may not have answers while religion proposes answers that may not be questioned. -J. -------- Original message --------From: Prof David West <profw...@fastmail.fm> Date: 5/21/20 16:46 (GMT+01:00) To: friam@redfish.com Subject: Re: [FRIAM] God Certainly. I apologize if I implied otherwise."What is the function of that?" seems to be a strange question — a disguise for a different type of question like, "what is the evolutionary advantage?My reaction to the article was along the lines: Does DMT, at the micro-dose level in the human brain, contribute a biological evolutionary advantage along the lines of nuanced sensitivity — helping make more precise distinctions to sensory input and therefore increase survival odds in some subtle way. The belief in "Other" or "God" is just a side effect?Fast forward a few millennia and the side-effect that had little or no consequence vis-a-vis biological evolution suddenly becomes a vulnerability —a contra-survival trait— in terms of socio-cultural evolution? [Yes, I am being a bit sloppy and or metaphorical as I toss about the the term evolution.]davewOn Wed, May 20, 2020, at 3:36 PM, thompnicks...@gmail.com wrote:> Ok. But I can ask "why", right? > > Nicholas Thompson> Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology> Clark University> thompnicks...@gmail.com> https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/> > > > -----Original Message-----> From: Friam <friam-boun...@redfish.com> On Behalf Of Prof David West> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 3:29 PM> To: friam@redfish.com> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] God> > Who said anything about a function?> > A simple observation: every culture of which we are aware express some > sort of belief in the supernatural - there is marginal consistency > among expressions of that belief. Burials with artifacts / food stuffs > / staged body positioning / etc. are interpreted as expressions of > supernatural belief in prehistoric cultures. Again just an observation, > no interpretation, no assignment of meaning, no explantation.> > davew> > > On Wed, May 20, 2020, at 10:22 AM, thompnicks...@gmail.com wrote:> > Wait a minute?> > > > What is the function of believing in higher spirits? > > > > Or is it a spandrel?> > > > N> > > > Nicholas Thompson> > Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology Clark University > > thompnicks...@gmail.com https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/> > > > > > > > -----Original Message-----> > From: Friam <friam-boun...@redfish.com> On Behalf Of Prof David West> > Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 6:23 AM> > To: friam@redfish.com> > Subject: [FRIAM] God> > > > Taking (inhaling) DMT seems to induce a belief in "higher spirits" e.g. "God."> > > > https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0269881120916143> > > > Since human brains naturally produce DMT (some controversy about this > > assertion); that is why all human cultures — historic and prehistoric — > > incorporate beliefs in the supernatural.> > > > davew> > > > -- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. > > . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...> > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv> > Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe > > http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com> > archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/> > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > -- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. > > . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...> > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv> > Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam> > un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com> > archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/> > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ > >> > -- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. > . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv> Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam> un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com> archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ > > > -- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. > . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv> Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam> un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com> archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >-- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listservZoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriamun/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.comarchives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/
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