Religion As A Virus Of The Mind

[HUGGY]

Religion attacks free will.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Discovery of the God Module Results in New Field of Science: Neurotheology

In a vanguard experiment on the physical sources of spiritual consciousness, Michael Persinger, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and psychology at Laurentian University in Canada, isolated an area of neurons in the brain's temporal lobes that repeatedly fire bursts of electrical activity when one contemplates God or has feelings of spirituality. Attempting to try to stimulate these bursts, Persinger isolated an area near the front of these temporal lobes, the amygdala, an almond shaped organ that infuses events with intense emotion and a sense of meaningfulness.

He then passed a controlled electrical current through coils on the head of his 80 subjects, creating a magnetic field that mimicked the firing patterns of the neurons in the temporal lobes. This resulted in an induced spiritual experience. The subjects reported an "opiate-like effect with a substantial decrease in anxiety, a heightened sense of well-being" that gave them the sense of not being alone. This sense was described by some as a religious experience.

At the same time While Persinger conducted his experiments, Vilayanur Ramachandran, Ph.D., director of the Brain and Perception Laboratory at the University of California at San Diego, also tuned in to the cosmic consciousness. He announced that he had discovered the 'God Module' in the brain which could be responsible for man's evolutionary instinct to believe in religion.

 

[syrenn]

Discovery of the God Module Results in New Field of Science: Neurotheology

In a vanguard experiment on the physical sources of spiritual consciousness, Michael Persinger, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and psychology at Laurentian University in Canada, isolated an area of neurons in the brain's temporal lobes that repeatedly fire bursts of electrical activity when one contemplates God or has feelings of spirituality. Attempting to try to stimulate these bursts, Persinger isolated an area near the front of these temporal lobes, the amygdala, an almond shaped organ that infuses events with intense emotion and a sense of meaningfulness.

He then passed a controlled electrical current through coils on the head of his 80 subjects, creating a magnetic field that mimicked the firing patterns of the neurons in the temporal lobes. This resulted in an induced spiritual experience. The subjects reported an "opiate-like effect with a substantial decrease in anxiety, a heightened sense of well-being" that gave them the sense of not being alone. This sense was described by some as a religious experience.

At the same time While Persinger conducted his experiments, Vilayanur Ramachandran, Ph.D., director of the Brain and Perception Laboratory at the University of California at San Diego, also tuned in to the cosmic consciousness. He announced that he had discovered the 'God Module' in the brain which could be responsible for man's evolutionary instinct to believe in religion.

LMAO.

So its just as all of the "witch doctor shamans" have said. Lets get everyone stoned and become closer to the universe.

 

[Douger]

Discovery of the God Module Results in New Field of Science: Neurotheology

In a vanguard experiment on the physical sources of spiritual consciousness, Michael Persinger, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and psychology at Laurentian University in Canada, isolated an area of neurons in the brain's temporal lobes that repeatedly fire bursts of electrical activity when one contemplates God or has feelings of spirituality. Attempting to try to stimulate these bursts, Persinger isolated an area near the front of these temporal lobes, the amygdala, an almond shaped organ that infuses events with intense emotion and a sense of meaningfulness.

He then passed a controlled electrical current through coils on the head of his 80 subjects, creating a magnetic field that mimicked the firing patterns of the neurons in the temporal lobes. This resulted in an induced spiritual experience. The subjects reported an "opiate-like effect with a substantial decrease in anxiety, a heightened sense of well-being" that gave them the sense of not being alone. This sense was described by some as a religious experience.

At the same time While Persinger conducted his experiments, Vilayanur Ramachandran, Ph.D., director of the Brain and Perception Laboratory at the University of California at San Diego, also tuned in to the cosmic consciousness. He announced that he had discovered the 'God Module' in the brain which could be responsible for man's evolutionary instinct to believe in religion.

LMAO.

So its just as all of the "witch doctor shamans" have said. Lets get everyone stoned and become closer to the universe.

Want a hit ?

 

[lizzie]

Religion attacks free will.

Interesting, being that in many religions, it is strongly believed that "God" gave us free will.

I don't see religion as attacking free will, as much as it seems to lay down some guidelines for living in a civil society.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Discovery of the God Module Results in New Field of Science: Neurotheology

In a vanguard experiment on the physical sources of spiritual consciousness, Michael Persinger, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and psychology at Laurentian University in Canada, isolated an area of neurons in the brain's temporal lobes that repeatedly fire bursts of electrical activity when one contemplates God or has feelings of spirituality. Attempting to try to stimulate these bursts, Persinger isolated an area near the front of these temporal lobes, the amygdala, an almond shaped organ that infuses events with intense emotion and a sense of meaningfulness.

He then passed a controlled electrical current through coils on the head of his 80 subjects, creating a magnetic field that mimicked the firing patterns of the neurons in the temporal lobes. This resulted in an induced spiritual experience. The subjects reported an "opiate-like effect with a substantial decrease in anxiety, a heightened sense of well-being" that gave them the sense of not being alone. This sense was described by some as a religious experience.

At the same time While Persinger conducted his experiments, Vilayanur Ramachandran, Ph.D., director of the Brain and Perception Laboratory at the University of California at San Diego, also tuned in to the cosmic consciousness. He announced that he had discovered the 'God Module' in the brain which could be responsible for man's evolutionary instinct to believe in religion.

LMAO.

So its just as all of the "witch doctor shamans" have said. Lets get everyone stoned and become closer to the universe.

Did you ever wonder why religions require repetitive chants or say the same prayers over and over?

Those activities obviously stimulate the god module of the brain as much as drugs can.

I wonder if atheists like me abstained from the so called psychedelic mind expanding drugs.

There is an historical a correlation to great spiritual leaders and psychedelic drug use.

 

[Hister]

Discovery of the God Module Results in New Field of Science: Neurotheology

LMAO.

So its just as all of the "witch doctor shamans" have said. Lets get everyone stoned and become closer to the universe.

Did you ever wonder why religions require repetitive chants or say the same prayers over and over?

Those activities obviously stimulate the god module of the brain as much as drugs can.

I wonder if atheists like me abstained from the so called psychedelic mind expanding drugs.

There is an historical a correlation to great spiritual leaders and psychedelic drug use.

Atheists are just as deluded as theists, you believe something that cannot be proven.

 

[hipeter924]

LMAO.

So its just as all of the "witch doctor shamans" have said. Lets get everyone stoned and become closer to the universe.

Did you ever wonder why religions require repetitive chants or say the same prayers over and over?

Those activities obviously stimulate the god module of the brain as much as drugs can.

I wonder if atheists like me abstained from the so called psychedelic mind expanding drugs.

There is an historical a correlation to great spiritual leaders and psychedelic drug use.

Atheists are just as deluded as theists, you believe something that cannot be proven.

Actually there is nothing that can be proven, by all means we could all be floating gas clouds and our reality could be nothing more than allusion created by ourselves. Just that to believe I was in such an existence would be counter productive and depreciate the value of my life.

I might not be able to totally prove that there is no god, but that is not the point. If you take a position that something does not exist you will always be right, not because of the burden of proof but because as I said before our reality could be false thus all our preconceptions of our reality wrong.

Anyone could say their life is an allusion and they would be right, we have no independent/unbiased agent to prove our reality.

 

[Skull Pilot]

LMAO.

So its just as all of the "witch doctor shamans" have said. Lets get everyone stoned and become closer to the universe.

Did you ever wonder why religions require repetitive chants or say the same prayers over and over?

Those activities obviously stimulate the god module of the brain as much as drugs can.

I wonder if atheists like me abstained from the so called psychedelic mind expanding drugs.

There is an historical a correlation to great spiritual leaders and psychedelic drug use.

Atheists are just as deluded as theists, you believe something that cannot be proven.

You bore me.

welcome to my ignore list.

 

[Hister]

Did you ever wonder why religions require repetitive chants or say the same prayers over and over?

Those activities obviously stimulate the god module of the brain as much as drugs can.

I wonder if atheists like me abstained from the so called psychedelic mind expanding drugs.

There is an historical a correlation to great spiritual leaders and psychedelic drug use.

Atheists are just as deluded as theists, you believe something that cannot be proven.

You bore me.

welcome to my ignore list.

Ok smart guy, prove that there's no god and you win.

 

[uscitizen]

Did you ever wonder why religions require repetitive chants or say the same prayers over and over?

Those activities obviously stimulate the god module of the brain as much as drugs can.

I wonder if atheists like me abstained from the so called psychedelic mind expanding drugs.

There is an historical a correlation to great spiritual leaders and psychedelic drug use.

Atheists are just as deluded as theists, you believe something that cannot be proven.

Actually there is nothing that can be proven, by all means we could all be floating gas clouds and our reality could be nothing more than allusion created by ourselves. Just that to believe I was in such an existence would be counter productive and depreciate the value of my life.

I might not be able to totally prove that there is no god, but that is not the point. If you take a position that something does not exist you will always be right, not because of the burden of proof but because as I said before our reality could be false thus all our preconceptions of our reality wrong.

Anyone could say their life is an allusion and they would be right, we have no independent/unbiased agent to prove our reality.

Our entire known universe could be as a single molecule to something greater. Our entire universe's existence could be but a blink of the eye in the timeframe of the greater whole.

Humans are arrogant and think we are the greatest thing in the universe. Well except for our God which we also created in our own image....

Who? even those who believe in god are to say that god did not create other better lifeforms i the universe? We surely could not be the supreme beings greatest accompolishment...

Just some musings....

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Atheists are just as deluded as theists, you believe something that cannot be proven.

Actually there is nothing that can be proven, by all means we could all be floating gas clouds and our reality could be nothing more than allusion created by ourselves. Just that to believe I was in such an existence would be counter productive and depreciate the value of my life.

I might not be able to totally prove that there is no god, but that is not the point. If you take a position that something does not exist you will always be right, not because of the burden of proof but because as I said before our reality could be false thus all our preconceptions of our reality wrong.

Anyone could say their life is an allusion and they would be right, we have no independent/unbiased agent to prove our reality.

Our entire known universe could be as a single molecule to something greater. Our entire universe's existence could be but a blink of the eye in the timeframe of the greater whole.

Humans are arrogant and think we are the greatest thing in the universe. Well except for our God which we also created in our own image....

Who? even those who believe in god are to say that god did not create other better lifeforms i the universe? We surely could not be the supreme beings greatest accompolishment...

Just some musings....

this just may be one of the better posts evah @ USMB

 

[amrchaos]

Ahh, the mind and the intellect vs the soul.

People have been "the biggest bunch of assholes that ever walked the planet" throughout most of human history. The exception prove the rule.

We have developed beyond the need of religion. Religion has also given rise to the most horrific acts carried out by humans.

The idea to respect a neighbor most likely predates religion. Survival depended upon it. Religious beliefs came about in ways that mostly have mostly benefited society at the expense of individuals. Religion as a virus is an interesting concept.

What one initially takes from the use of the term 'virus' says more about one, than one consciously appreciates.

If we have developed past the need for need for religion why does it still thrive?

I think we have passed the need for mysticism.

But the need of religion, I don't think we have passed.

Of course, there a couple of "mystics" on board that will argue we need to learn about experiences and intuition that only a few can qualify.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Ahh, the mind and the intellect vs the soul.

People have been "the biggest bunch of assholes that ever walked the planet" throughout most of human history. The exception prove the rule.

We have developed beyond the need of religion. Religion has also given rise to the most horrific acts carried out by humans.

The idea to respect a neighbor most likely predates religion. Survival depended upon it. Religious beliefs came about in ways that mostly have mostly benefited society at the expense of individuals. Religion as a virus is an interesting concept.

What one initially takes from the use of the term 'virus' says more about one, than one consciously appreciates.

If we have developed past the need for need for religion why does it still thrive?

I think we have passed the need for mysticism.

But the need of religion, I don't think we have passed.

Of course, there a couple of "mystics" on board that will argue we need to learn about experiences and intuition that only a few can qualify.

methink you have it backwards.

We have passed the need for religion - ages ago.

Our society needs new myths and symbols to keep our collective psyche from cracking.

see: Joseph Campbell

 

[amrchaos]

By the way.

Religion can be completely grounded--that is, a religion does not need to make unprovable claims and focsu mainly on human behavior..Either in terms of self, interactions with family and friends, and dealings with strangers as well as collective groups in dealing with each other.

Personally, I think that most religions have not consolodated due to the rampant ignorance that surrounded them and the laziness on part of the Theologians in the religions. A Rational Refom movement is desperately needed for todays religion, else we are constantly under threat of a so-called "return to fundementalism" that will lead to the spreading of ignorance, outerageous claims of the faithful, and misery due to the turn away from Science and Technology.

I think that is what is occuring today in the both the middle east and here in America. There is some good to religion, but religion also encompasses some dangers based on total faith in a religious leaders claims.

 

[dblack]

That's fine for the survival or spread of religion, but what of its origins?

How is it that millennia ago, disparate tribes of people isolated from each other developed virtually the same concepts with regard to religion?

I suspect it's the same mechanism that causes similar survival strategies to evolve in unrelated species. Some approaches just prove useful. The religion meme was core to the development of modern civilization.

 

[Peach]

If we have developed past the need for need for religion why does it still thrive?

I think we have passed the need for mysticism.

But the need of religion, I don't think we have passed.

Of course, there a couple of "mystics" on board that will argue we need to learn about experiences and intuition that only a few can qualify.

methink you have it backwards.

We have passed the need for religion - ages ago.

Our society needs new myths and symbols to keep our collective psyche from cracking.

see: Joseph Campbell

And the need arises from...........?

 

[amrchaos]

If we have developed past the need for need for religion why does it still thrive?

I think we have passed the need for mysticism.

But the need of religion, I don't think we have passed.

Of course, there a couple of "mystics" on board that will argue we need to learn about experiences and intuition that only a few can qualify.

methink you have it backwards.

We have passed the need for religion - ages ago.

Our society needs new myths and symbols to keep our collective psyche from cracking.

see: Joseph Campbell

Actually, I did not.

Mysticism is based on experiences only a few people have, and blind faith is needed to create a movement.

That is what is passed.

Now, religion should be focused on both civic, familial behavior and self improvement. These new religions can be based on common experiences instead of mystical experiences as claimed by a mystic. This turn of focus is evident in modern Protestant churchs and some other religious goups. In about a hundred years, the Mystics may be laughed out of existance due to their habit of not verifing their claim and the use of this technique for misleading and abusing followers with their vapous claims.

Mysticism is dying. But Religion is not.

 

[Peach]

I think we have passed the need for mysticism.

But the need of religion, I don't think we have passed.

Of course, there a couple of "mystics" on board that will argue we need to learn about experiences and intuition that only a few can qualify.

methink you have it backwards.

We have passed the need for religion - ages ago.

Our society needs new myths and symbols to keep our collective psyche from cracking.

see: Joseph Campbell

Actually, I did not.

Mysticism is based on experiences only a few people have, and blind faith is needed to create a movement.

That is what is passed.

Now, religion should be focused on both civic, familial behavior and self improvement. These new religions can be based on common experiences instead of mystical experiences as claimed by a mystic. This turn of focus is evident in modern Protestant churchs and some other religious goups. In about a hundred years, the Mystics may be laughed out of existance due to their habit of not verifing their claim and the use of this technique for misleading and abusing followers with their vapous claims.

Mysticism is dying. But Religion is not.

Einstein on BELIEFS:

I'm not an atheist. I don't think I can call myself a pantheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn't know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only dimly understand these laws. Our limited minds grasp the mysterious force that moves the constellations. I am fascinated by Spinoza's pantheism, but admire even more his contribution to modern thought because he is the first philosopher to deal with the soul and body as one, and not two separate things.[6]

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

"the laziness on part of the Theologians in the religions" - your words
do you live in the real world?

Theologians are lazy? They never STFU

I think we have passed the need for mysticism.

But the need of religion, I don't think we have passed.

Of course, there a couple of "mystics" on board that will argue we need to learn about experiences and intuition that only a few can qualify.

methink you have it backwards.

We have passed the need for religion - ages ago.

Our society needs new myths and symbols to keep our collective psyche from cracking.

see: Joseph Campbell

Actually, I did not.

Mysticism is based on experiences only a few people have, and blind faith is needed to create a movement.

That is what is passed.

Now, religion should be focused on both civic, familial behavior and self improvement. These new religions can be based on common experiences instead of mystical experiences as claimed by a mystic. This turn of focus is evident in modern Protestant churchs and some other religious goups. In about a hundred years, the Mystics may be laughed out of existance due to their habit of not verifing their claim and the use of this technique for misleading and abusing followers with their vapous claims.

Mysticism is dying. But Religion is not.

Mysticism addresses the psyche