A story in the current issue of New Scientist, at
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126941.700-born-believers-how-your-brain-creates-god.html
or
http://snurl.com/bgu9a
It says, passim:
"our brains have separate cognitive systems for dealing with living
things - things with minds, or at least volition - and inanimate
objects." ...
"[Yale psychologist Paul] Bloom says the two systems are autonomous,
leaving us with two viewpoints on the world: one that deals with
minds, and one that handles physical aspects of the world. He calls
this innate assumption that mind and matter are distinct "common-sense
dualism". The body is for physical processes, like eating and moving,
while the mind carries our consciousness in a separate - and separable
- package. "We very naturally accept you can leave your body in a
dream, or in astral projection or some sort of magic," Bloom says.
"These are universal views."
There is plenty of evidence that thinking about disembodied minds
comes naturally. People readily form relationships with non-existent
others: roughly half of all 4-year-olds have had an imaginary friend,
and adults often form and maintain relationships with dead relatives,
fictional characters and fantasy partners. As Barrett points out, this
is an evolutionarily useful skill. Without it we would be unable to
maintain large social hierarchies and alliances or anticipate what an
unseen enemy might be planning. "Requiring a body around to think
about its mind would be a great liability," he says." ...
"The mind has another essential attribute: an overdeveloped sense of
cause and effect which primes us to see purpose and design everywhere,
even where there is none. "You see bushes rustle, you assume there's
somebody or something there," Bloom says.
This over-attribution of cause and effect probably evolved for
survival. If there are predators around, it is no good spotting them 9
times out of 10. Running away when you don't have to is a small price
to pay for avoiding danger when the threat is real." ...
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Michael Brady
[email protected]
