<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="auto">Daniel Dennett writes in "Breaking the spell" that <b>philosophy</b> asks questions that may not have answers while <b>religion</b> proposes answers that may not be questioned. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">-J.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div><br></div><div style="font-size:100%;color:#000000" dir="auto"><!-- originalMessage --><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Prof David West <profwest@fastmail.fm> </div><div>Date: 5/21/20 16:46 (GMT+01:00) </div><div>To: friam@redfish.com </div><div>Subject: Re: [FRIAM] God </div><div><br></div></div>Certainly. I apologize if I implied otherwise.<br><br>"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?<br><br>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?<br><br>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?<br> <br>[Yes, I am being a bit sloppy and or metaphorical as I toss about the the term evolution.]<br><br>davew<br><br><br>On Wed, May 20, 2020, at 3:36 PM, thompnickson2@gmail.com wrote:<br>> Ok. But I can ask "why", right? <br>> <br>> Nicholas Thompson<br>> Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology<br>> Clark University<br>> ThompNickSon2@gmail.com<br>> https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/<br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> -----Original Message-----<br>> From: Friam <friam-bounces@redfish.com> On Behalf Of Prof David West<br>> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 3:29 PM<br>> To: friam@redfish.com<br>> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] God<br>> <br>> Who said anything about a function?<br>> <br>> A simple observation: every culture of which we are aware express some <br>> sort of belief in the supernatural - there is marginal consistency <br>> among expressions of that belief. Burials with artifacts / food stuffs <br>> / staged body positioning / etc. are interpreted as expressions of <br>> supernatural belief in prehistoric cultures. Again just an observation, <br>> no interpretation, no assignment of meaning, no explantation.<br>> <br>> davew<br>> <br>> <br>> On Wed, May 20, 2020, at 10:22 AM, thompnickson2@gmail.com wrote:<br>> > Wait a minute?<br>> > <br>> > What is the function of believing in higher spirits? <br>> > <br>> > Or is it a spandrel?<br>> > <br>> > N<br>> > <br>> > Nicholas Thompson<br>> > Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology Clark University <br>> > ThompNickSon2@gmail.com https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/<br>> > <br>> > <br>> > <br>> > -----Original Message-----<br>> > From: Friam <friam-bounces@redfish.com> On Behalf Of Prof David West<br>> > Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 6:23 AM<br>> > To: friam@redfish.com<br>> > Subject: [FRIAM] God<br>> > <br>> > Taking (inhaling) DMT seems to induce a belief in "higher spirits" e.g. "God."<br>> > <br>> > https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0269881120916143<br>> > <br>> > Since human brains naturally produce DMT (some controversy about this <br>> > assertion); that is why all human cultures — historic and prehistoric — <br>> > incorporate beliefs in the supernatural.<br>> > <br>> > davew<br>> > <br>> > -- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. <br>> > . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...<br>> > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv<br>> > Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe <br>> > http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com<br>> > archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/<br>> > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ <br>> > <br>> > <br>> > -- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. <br>> > . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...<br>> > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv<br>> > Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam<br>> > un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com<br>> > archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/<br>> > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ <br>> ><br>> <br>> -- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. <br>> . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...<br>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv<br>> Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam<br>> un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com<br>> archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/<br>> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ <br>> <br>> <br>> -- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. <br>> . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...<br>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv<br>> Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam<br>> un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com<br>> archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/<br>> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ <br>><br><br>-- --- .-. . .-.. --- -.-. -.- ... -..-. .- .-. . -..-. - .... . -..-. . ... ... . -. - .. .- .-.. -..-. .-- --- .-. -.- . .-. ...<br>FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv<br>Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam<br>un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com<br>archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/<br>FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ <br></body></html>