<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 \u2014 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 \u2014 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 \u2014a contra-survival trait\u2014 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 \u2014 historic and prehistoric \u2014 <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>