Re: Has anybody read this book?

From: Wade Smith (wade_smith@harvard.edu)
Date: Wed Jan 16 2002 - 15:36:49 GMT

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Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 10:36:49 -0500
Subject: Re: Has anybody read this book?
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From: Wade Smith <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
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    On Wednesday, January 16, 2002, at 09:48 , Keith Henson wrote:

    > Do this long enough, give it enough of an advantage, and you
    > get genes building a place in the brain to accept religious
    > class memes. If you dig about in the literature the location
    > (temporal lobe) is known. Seizures in this area are connected
    > to extreme religious feelings and (for unknown reasons) to
    > "hypergraphia," writing incessantly.

    I'm not convinced these studies or any others have shown a
    genetic place for accepting religious class memes, although,
    with that sort of qualifier, 'religious-class', that's a pretty
    open category, and, as you say, the ability to anticipate has
    brought problems which this class seems to put a finger in.

    But, the religious ecstasy studies, and the other behaviors, are
    not 'religious' except by context. They are different, and
    religious memes had a place for the different, as indeed
    society-class memes always have.

    But, yes, the main point, that religion will 'fit' into this
    area of our consciousness, is well taken. But many other things
    fit as well, most better.

    - Wade

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