Lecture 17 Religion

Question 1

Religion

Answer 1

is cross cultural belief in any supernatural entity

Question 2

Pascal Boyers Counterontology theory

Answer 2

We have subsystems for understanding different things in the world: contagion, persons, living things, tools, physical objects. These form “ontologies.”

In the counterontology sense this is a combination of two things that make the combination impossible
Baby that makes soup

Question 3

Person permanence

Answer 3

Our belief that people still exist when we can no longer perceive them, religions have different way of explaining this i.e Heaven.

Question 4

Dualism

Answer 4

saying we have our conscience disconnected from out body is very common among humans (two different entities connected)

Question 5

Enculturation

Answer 5

how you learn a new culture

Question 6

The old brain

Answer 6

Things that are innate are often associated with the old brain

Question 7

The new brain

Answer 7

Things that are learned are associated with the new brain.

Question 8

Dead bodies

Answer 8

Are naturally Counterontological, we see dead things we usually feel disgusted, we want to believe the body is alive, but it isn’t.

Question 9

Corpse dealings

Answer 9

In tropical regions the body needs to be disposed of quickly

In colder climates the body disposal is slower.

All religions have something to say about corpses.

Question 10

Dual Funerals

Answer 10

Religions that bury a body and dig them out about 3 months later and then rebury them

Question 11

Why is everyone religious

Answer 11

Theory; Religion Encourages Prosocial Behavior.

Other animals don’t have religion, because animals don’t have effective communication or language and can not spread rumors.

To make people behave in order to benefit the group, belief in a punishment for bad behavior.

Question 12

Group Selection

Answer 12

An entire group of organisms that determine its success

Question 13

Priming

Answer 13

related concepts get more activated in your mind, mentioning money related stuff the word bank will make you think of a financial institution.

Question 14

Reminding of supernatural

Answer 14

Makes people behave better

Question 15

Origins of Religious Belief and Ritual and Mental illness

Answer 15

In traditional societies, schizotypals and epileptics are often perceived to be blessed and set the society’s religious tone.

People with mental illnesses tend to be more religious

Question 16

OCD

Answer 16

Characterized by compulsive rituals:
checking, cleaning, entering and leaving
spaces, hoarding, numbers. Affects about 2%
of people.

Associated with hyperreligiosity is a major feature of OCD

Orthodox religions have repetitive rituals, this can cause dread, people with OCD are attracted to religions with rituals

Question 17

Schizophrenia

Answer 17

affect about 3% of people, people who experience delusions tend to have more religious beliefs, they think they have been sent by God, amped up pattern detection, this makes people discern good voices from bad opens and claim the good voice is that of God.

Question 18

Dopamine

Answer 18

if people have more dopamine, they see more patterns, people who are religious tend to have more dopamine. give skeptics levodopa they act more religious.

Question 19

Why are individuals religious

Answer 19

religion is 50% genetic and 50% environmental,
specifically Genetics: 47%
Family upbringing: 11%
NON-family environment: 42%

Question 20

We think religion when

Answer 20

we see something out of the ordinary, like thunderstorms

Question 21

Karma

Answer 21

The idea that the world is just, and that good or bad behaviour will be judged accordingly