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Dr Izuma added: “We decided to remind people of death because previous research has shown that people turn to religion for comfort in the face of death. As expected, we found that when we experimentally turned down the posterior medial frontal cortex, people were less inclined to reach for comforting religious ideas despite having been reminded of death.”
Dr Izuma added: “We decided to remind people of death because previous research has shown that people turn to religion for comfort in the face of death. As expected, we found that when we experimentally turned down the posterior medial frontal cortex, people were less inclined to reach for comforting religious ideas despite having been reminded of death.”
The belief in God is not based in God being real but is a product of the human brain, nothing more, nothing less. It's a brain based security blanket of sorts also.
It is important to note that religious and nationalist sentiment were equally effected and these were chosen simply because they were measuring response to perceived ideological threats. So while this is not the discovery of a "volume control" for theism specifically it does highlight that religious ideology is no different than any other ideological fixation and a perceived threat is a perceived threat.
It would be nice if we could put a magnetic field against the medial frontal cortex of some of the ideologically rigid in hopes of shining a little light in the tightly locked Pandora's Box of their deepest fears and show them that broader thinking is not the self-annihilation they seem to think it is.
The belief in God is not based in God being real but is a product of the human brain, nothing more, nothing less. It's a brain based security blanket of sorts also.
Of course it is.
Think about it.
The alternative is to face the idea that our existence is as fleeting and meaningless as that of the housefly you swatted at yesterday.
Of course it is.
Think about it.
The alternative is to face the idea that our existence is as fleeting and meaningless as that of the housefly you swatted at yesterday.
The alternative is to face the idea that you aren't a special snowflake ... but this does not preclude you finding meaning and purpose and doing good in the world. It simply elevates your motives.
The alternative is to face the idea that you aren't a special snowflake ... but this does not preclude you finding meaning and purpose and doing good in the world. It simply elevates your motives.
You find meaning. In yourself, your works, and in bettering the lives of others.
But in the huge expanse of the universe and time, you are meaningless.
The former is enough for me, but it's not enough for most people. And the latter terrifies them.
That's why I don't require religion to feel good about about my life and many people do.
Hell, we don't even have to put in the perspective of the universe and all time. In a mere matter of 50 to 100 years from today, it's likely no one will even remember you existed.
It is important to note that religious and nationalist sentiment were equally effected and these were chosen simply because they were measuring response to perceived ideological threats. So while this is not the discovery of a "volume control" for theism specifically it does highlight that religious ideology is no different than any other ideological fixation and a perceived threat is a perceived threat.
It would be nice if we could put a magnetic field against the medial frontal cortex of some of the ideologically rigid in hopes of shining a little light in the tightly locked Pandora's Box of their deepest fears and show them that broader thinking is not the self-annihilation they seem to think it is.
Switching off religion and nationalist sentiment is a good idea, imo!
Hell, we don't even have to put in the perspective of the universe and all time. In a mere matter of 50 to 100 years from today, it's likely no one will even remember you existed.
I'm still alive (I think) and people have forgotten me already!
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