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.] davew On Wed, May 20, 2020, at 3:36 PM, [email protected] wrote: > Ok. But I can ask "why", right? > > Nicholas Thompson > Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology > Clark University > [email protected] > https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/ > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Friam <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Prof David West > Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 3:29 PM > To: [email protected] > 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, [email protected] 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 > > [email protected] https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/ > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Friam <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Prof David West > > Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 6:23 AM > > To: [email protected] > > 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 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/
