Blog Archives - THE ORIGIN OF RELIGION

DEEPAK CHOPRA

5/30/2024

Deepak Cophra.May 13,’24 writes: “Science has stripped away any reassurances about life after death, and most people in the modern world accept the scientific model. In doing so it logically follows that when the physical body dies, in all likelihood the immaterial aspects of being human — mind, soul, memory, personality, thoughts, feelings, etc. — are extinguished at the same time. What this set of beliefs doesn’t offer is proof, in the form of facts, data, information, and so on.”

This last sentence is not true. The assertion that the mind, soul, memory, personality, thoughts, and feelings persist beyond the death of the brain lacks empirical support. Science, through observation, has consistently shown that these faculties cease to exist when the brain ceases to function (unless one subscribes to the unproven notion of a metaphysical realm). You needn't be an expert researcher to reach this conclusion. I witnessed my mother's decade-long struggle with Alzheimer's disease, observing firsthand how she gradually lost these faculties as her brain deteriorated, leaving none of them remaining upon her passing. Thus, the claims of individuals like Deepak Chopra, renowned for peddling pseudoscientific remedies, hold no merit in the face of such evidence.

Deepak Chopra; Hindi: born October 22, 1946, is an Indian-American author and alternative medicine advocate. A prominent figure in the New Age movement, his books and videos have made him one of the best-known and wealthiest figures in alternative medicine. His discussions of quantum healing have been characterized as technobabble ”incoherent babbling strewn with scientific terms" derided by those proficient in physics. (Wikipedia)

AMNESIA

5/30/2024

Amnesia resulting from brain injuries indeed presents a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. It can manifest in various forms, including retrograde amnesia (loss of memories before the injury) and anterograde amnesia (inability to form new memories after the injury). Additionally, there are different types of amnesia, such as transient global amnesia, which is a temporary loss of memory typically lasting for hours.
The underlying mechanisms of amnesia can vary depending on the type and location of the brain injury. For example, damage to the hippocampus, a brain structure crucial for memory formation, can lead to profound anterograde amnesia. Similarly, damage to certain regions of the temporal lobes or the frontal lobes can also result in memory deficits.
The study of amnesia has been greatly informed by clinical cases, neuroimaging techniques, and animal models. Researchers have identified various factors that can influence the severity and nature of amnesia, including the extent of brain damage, the age of the individual, and pre-existing cognitive abilities.
Here's a summary of what's known about it, along with some references for further reading:
Neuropsychological Perspective: Damage to key structures crucial for memory formation and storage, like the hippocampus and adjacent medial temporal lobe regions, is frequently associated with total amnesia. This damage interferes with the encoding and retrieval processes vital for recalling past events (retrograde amnesia) and creating new memories (anterograde amnesia).
Types of Brain Injuries: Total amnesia may stem from diverse types of brain injuries, encompassing traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, anoxia/hypoxia, infections, inflammatory conditions, and tumors. The precise mechanisms underlying memory impairment can differ, contingent upon the nature and site of the brain injury.
Clinical Presentation: Those afflicted by total amnesia often display significant memory impairments, such as the inability to recollect personal memories, factual information, or procedural skills. The degree and persistence of amnesia can fluctuate, influenced by factors like the severity of the brain injury, concurrent cognitive impairments, and individual variances in brain plasticity and resilience.
Treatment and Rehabilitation: Management of total amnesia typically involves a comprehensive approach, including medical intervention, cognitive rehabilitation, psychotherapy, and support from interdisciplinary teams. While recovery from total amnesia can be challenging and may vary among individuals, targeted interventions aimed at enhancing memory function and compensating for deficits can facilitate long-term recovery and adaptation
Some notable references for further reading on this topic include:

"Memory and Amnesia: An Introduction" by Alan J. Parkin and Eileen B. Funnell
"Neuropsychology of Memory" by Larry R. Squire and Stuart Zola-Morgan
"The Neuropsychology of Memory" edited by Larry R. Squire and Daniel L. Schacter
"Memory Distortion: How Minds, Brains, and Societies Reconstruct the Past" by Daniel L. Schacter

These resources provide comprehensive insights into the complexities of amnesia, covering both theoretical frameworks and empirical findings from clinical and experimental studies.

New research in Abiogenesis

5/27/2024

The following article was just published (May 2024). We are getting very close to abiogenesis. Check it out
The research conducted by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, as reported by the Washington Post, is indeed fascinating and significant. Their work revolves around the idea that RNA could have been the molecule responsible for kick-starting life on Earth, preceding the emergence of DNA and proteins.
By creating an RNA molecule capable of accurately copying others and resulting in a functioning enzyme, the researchers have achieved a crucial milestone. While the created molecule isn't yet self-replicating, it represents a significant step towards understanding the origins of life and potentially even creating life in a laboratory setting.
The ability to replicate RNA with high fidelity is essential for Darwinian evolution to occur. Too many errors in replication can lead to the loss of genetic information, while exact replication doesn't allow for the necessary mutations that drive growth and adaptation. The researchers at Salk addressed this challenge by creating an RNA molecule that replicates hammerhead RNA, a molecule capable of chopping other molecules. This process allows for controlled deviation from the original sequence, fostering growth and evolution.
The implications of this research are profound. If scientists can eventually create self-replicating RNA molecules in the lab, it could provide insights into how life arose on Earth and even open up possibilities for creating artificial lifeforms. However, such advancements also raise important ethical questions regarding the creation and manipulation of synthetic life.
Overall, this research represents a significant advancement in our understanding of the origins of life and the potential for creating life in a laboratory setting. It's a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of scientists working in the field of origins of life research.
Gerald Joyce, the president of Salk who co-authored a new paper about the research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said that although the researchers' lab-made molecule isn't yet self-replicating, the one they did create is a huge step to creating life in the lab.
If RNA is created that is able to replicate itself, the Salk president said, "then it would be alive. "This is the road to how life can arise in a laboratory," Joyce said, "or, in principle, anywhere in the universe."

Evolution and Abiogenisis

5/20/2024

Science has established that the theory of evolution is based on solid evidence. Evolution has been confirmed by both religious and non-religious scholarship, using the scientific method. Anyone can demonstrate how evolution works. The Catholic Church, for example, has accepted evolution as the means by which life has developed on earth.   Abiogenesis is not evolution. Abiogenesis is the idea that life arose from non-living elements more than 3.5 billion years ago. Abiogenesis proposes that the first life-forms were very simple but, through the gradual process of evolution, became increasingly complex.

Inanimate particles, atoms and molecules became more complex when the universe expanded and cooled until abiogenesis occurred and life appeared, a process that has yet to be duplicated. For the "God did it" crowd, abiogenesis is unacceptable; for them, abiogenesis is faulty. The “God did it” crowd prefers a simplified explanation of the origin of the universe and rejects scientific evidence. The explanation is simplistic. Complex explanations are too much for the “God did it” crowd, which prefers the vague idea of the creation of the universe by a deity. In contrast to scientific evidence, the “God did it” crowd is short on evidence and cannot provide a shred of evidence for divine creation, literally telling followers to believe a divine explanation in the absence of evidence. As always, when scientific answers are too complex for believers to understand, they prefer no scientific answer. Instead, the “God did it” crown uses magical thinking and offers no explanation of the origin of a mysterious almighty, intelligent being, while claiming, without evidence, that such a being is the cause of the origin of the universe. Even many religious but educated people who accept that evolution has been confirmed and demonstrated through tens of thousands of experiments often still believe there is a god.

I propose that we should look at evolution from a different perspective and think of evolution as a continuous process that started with the Big Bang. We don't know the origin or cause for the Big Bang but I favour the philosophy that, since energy can be neither created nor destroyed, the universe has always existed in some form. The Big Bang is the start of our observable universe and the start of evolution.

There is a well known process called ‘emergence’ wherein the properties of complex forms, as a whole, demonstrate novel consequences arising from the combined properties of individual components. Gazillions of particles, atoms, and molecules, interacting in a favourable environment, took billions of years to develop a self-replicating molecule whose property of ‘life’ emerged and eventually evolved into living forms when subjected to the natural evolution process.

Awareness is also an emergent property of this process. If one looks at this process, it makes sense. Awareness is an emergent process, the results of which we can now observe. The process is totally natural and does not require a magical supernatural entity whose origin is shrouded in mystery. This implies that human awareness is totally dependent on the physical world and is a function of our material brain. If this is the case, our awareness and senses die when our brains die. Supernatural claims for the development of awareness are just fantasies. We know that emergence is a real process since we can observe emergence in many chemical processes and products.

Evolution is a continuous never ending process where life and awareness emerge from an expanding and cooling universe in an environment where evolution and its emergent properties are possible. It also implies that life is widely spread throughout the universe, however there is the possibility that we are unique.

Consciousness and Emergence

5/20/2024

The nature of consciousness is a complex and ongoing topic of philosophical and scientific debate. There are differing views on whether consciousness is a material brain function or if it involves non-material or metaphysical aspects. Here are a few perspectives on this issue:
Materialism: Many neuroscientists and philosophers adopt a materialist perspective, which asserts that consciousness is an emergent property of the brain. According to this view, all aspects of consciousness, including thoughts, perceptions, and emotions, can be explained by the physical and chemical processes that occur in the brain. Materialists argue that understanding the brain's workings will ultimately lead to a complete understanding of consciousness
Dualism: Dualism, as proposed by René Descartes, posits that consciousness and the physical brain are two distinct substances. While the brain is a material entity, consciousness is non-material and interacts with the brain in some way. This view suggests that consciousness cannot be entirely reduced to brain functions and may involve non-physical aspects.
Panpsychism: Panpsychism is a theory that suggests consciousness is a fundamental aspect of the universe, and all matter has some form of consciousness. In this view, even subatomic particles have some rudimentary form of subjective experience. The brain, therefore, organizes and integrates these fundamental consciousness elements into our subjective experience.
Idealism: Idealism is a philosophical view that suggests that consciousness is primary and that the physical world, including the brain, is a manifestation of consciousness. In this view, the material world is, in a sense, a product or projection of the mind.
Of the four mentioned perspectives Materialism is the most logical explanation. Dualism relies on the existence of the supernatural which has no evidence. Extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence and therefore can be dismissed. Panpsychism should not be viewed as a supernatural process but as an emergent one. This emergent process, which we observe in biological as well as non-biological processes and defined as “having properties as a whole that are more complex than the properties contributed by each of the components individually” is the fundamental aspect of the universe mentioned in Panpsycism and that even subatomic particles have some rudimentary form of subjective experience. We should therefore regard evolution to be starting at the beginning of our universe as a continuing process where abiogenesis is an emergence in the evolutionary process and not a special event. I already mentioned the publication of a new study in my previous blog about “the missing Law” by the prestigious National Academy of Science (see ‘source’ below) which indicates a similar hypothesis. Idealism is a philosophical view without evidence and therefore can be dismissed as well.
The question of whether consciousness is a material brain function or involves non-material aspects remains a topic of ongoing research and debate. While much progress has been made in understanding the neural correlates of consciousness and how brain processes are associated with subjective experience, a complete and universally accepted theory of consciousness is still elusive. The nature of consciousness is a fundamental and complex problem in both philosophy and neuroscience.
Source:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (often abbreviated PNAS or PNAS USA) is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of Sciences, published since 1915, and publishes original research, scientific reviews, commentaries, and letters. According to Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2021 impact factor of 12.779.[1] PNAS is the second most cited scientific journal, with more than 1.9 million cumulative citations from 2008 to 2018.[2] In the mass media, PNAS has been described variously as "prestigious",[3][4] "sedate",[5] "renowned"[6] and "high impact".[7]

The soul is a man-made concept

5/19/2024

The soul is a construct devised by humanity. Early humans recognized the vital role of breathing in sustaining life. The inception of life was marked by the first breath of a newborn, while its conclusion occurred with the cessation of breathing. While one can endure periods without food or water, the absence of breath leads to death within minutes. This life-sustaining essence, imperceptible and ethereal, prompted ancient texts to employ terms like "spirit" and "pneuma." Rather than being interpreted literally, these terms conveyed a supernatural notion encapsulated in the concept of a "soul," believed to preexist and persist beyond its temporal presence in humans. The ancient scriptures delved into the mystical attributes of breath, portraying it as a force with supernatural qualitie

The concept of "spirit" carries different meanings in the realms of both physical sciences and religious or metaphysical contexts. In the physical sciences, particularly in ancient and medieval philosophy, the term "spirit" has been used to describe a subtle, ethereal substance or force thought to be distinct from matter. This concept is often associated with vitalism, the idea that living organisms possess a vital force or spirit that distinguishes them from inanimate matter. The ancient Greeks, for example, used the term "pneuma" to describe a vital breath or spirit that was considered the animating force of life.
Reference:Shapin, S. (1996). "The Scientific Revolution." University of Chicago Press.
During the Renaissance, alchemists and natural philosophers explored the idea of a vital spirit or life force as part of their attempts to understand the nature of living organisms. However, as scientific understanding advanced, vitalistic concepts fell out of favor in mainstream biology in favor of more mechanistic explanations.
The term "pneuma" has different meanings depending on the context—specifically, in the realms of both physical science and religion.In the physical sciences, particularly in ancient Greek philosophy, "pneuma" refers to the concept of a vital force or breath that is associated with life and living organisms. The ancient Greeks, including philosophers such as Anaximenes and the Stoics, used the term to describe a fundamental substance or principle that pervades all things and is responsible for life and animation. Anaximenes, for example, considered pneuma as the primary substance, akin to air or breath, which undergoes rarefaction and condensation to give rise to various forms of matter.
Reference:Kahn, C. H. (1979). "The Art and Thought of Heraclitus: An Edition of the Fragments with Translation and Commentary." CambridgUniversity Press.

Consciousness is created in the brain

5/19/2024

The relationship between consciousness and the brain is a complex and extensively researched topic in neuroscience and cognitive science. Here are some key points and references that support the idea that consciousness is closely tied to brain function:
Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC): Researchers often look for specific neural correlates that are associated with conscious experiences. Studies using techniques like fMRI, EEG, and other neuroimaging methods aim to identify brain activity patterns that are reliably associated with conscious perception. For example, the work of Francis Crick and Christof Koch has explored the search for neural correlates of consciousness.
Reference: Crick, F., & Koch, C. (2003). A framework for consciousness. Nature Neuroscience, 6(2), 119-126.
Brain Lesion Studies: Observations of individuals with brain lesions or damage can provide insights into the connection between brain function and consciousness. Cases where damage to specific brain regions correlates with changes in consciousness support the idea that the brain plays a crucial role.
Reference: Damasio, A. R. (1999). The feeling of what happens: Body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace.
Neurological Disorders: Certain neurological disorders, such as coma or vegetative states, further emphasize the link between brain function and consciousness. Research on these conditions often involves studying brain activity to understand the mechanisms underlying altered states of consciousness.
Reference: Laureys, S., et al. (2004). Unresponsive wakefulness syndrome: a new name for the vegetative state or apallic syndrome. BMC Medicine, 2(1),
Consciousness-Altering Interventions: Studies involving interventions that directly affect the brain, such as anesthesia or pharmacological manipulations, provide additional evidence for the brain's role in consciousness. These interventions demonstrate that altering neural activity can impact conscious experience.
Reference: Alkire, M. T., Hudetz, A. G., & Tononi, G. (2008). Consciousness and anesthesia. Science, 322(5903), 876-880.
Cognitive Neuroscience Models: Various cognitive neuroscience models propose how different brain regions and networks contribute to conscious processing. The Global Workspace Theory, Integrated Information Theory, and others offer frameworks to understand how the brain supports conscious awareness.
Reference: Baars, B. J. (1988). A cognitive theory of consciousness. Cambridge University Press.
Recent research on consciousness underscores its dependence on the brain as a vital organ, highlighting that consciousness is intricately linked to the functioning of a living, material brain. The prevailing understanding is that when the brain ceases to function, consciousness similarly ceases. Consequently, the logical inference is that any speculation suggesting the survival of consciousness beyond death lacks empirical support and is not a tenable hypothesis.

Superstitions

5/19/2024

Superstitions linger in the modern era, possibly stemming from their historical role in providing protection against threats. They often center on the belief in objects, people, or situations possessing mystical powers that influence events.
Despite our presumed rationality, superstitions persist today, even among seemingly logical individuals. Erol Akçay, a theoretical biologist at the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that we all harbor some level of superstition.
A 2024 psychology study reveals that very few people entirely lack superstitious beliefs or practices. Why do we adhere to superstitions despite their irrationality? It seems they offer psychological benefits.
One such benefit is stress relief. A 2018 study from the University of Singapore found that participants given a "lucky" pen experienced reduced anxiety during stressful tasks. Similarly, invoking good luck superstitions has correlated with enhanced performance in various activities, according to a 2010 study from the University of Cologne.
Superstitious beliefs can also bolster placebo effects. A 2021 study suggests that highly superstitious individuals derive greater benefits from placebos during memory tasks. Despite their lack of magical powers, superstitions can tangibly influence outcomes through belief.
However, superstitions entail costs. Actions like avoiding ladders or tossing salt for luck require time and effort without guaranteed results. Yet, they persist due to our adaptive learning strategy, which balances the risks of false beliefs and overlooking genuine threats.
In uncertain environments, forming mistaken cause-and-effect associations can prove advantageous. But as science and technology advance, superstitions may wane as their functions are supplanted by other means.
Nevertheless, superstitions endure due to the comfort they offer and the intergenerational transmission of beliefs. As Boris Gershman, an economist at American University, suggests, these beliefs can persist through familial inheritance, even as their utility diminishes over time.
Reference: From an article By Deena Mousa (May 01.'24)

Creating Abiogenisis ?

5/19/2024

The following article was just published (May 2024). We are getting very close to abiogenesis. Check it out
The research conducted by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, as reported by the Washington Post, is indeed fascinating and significant. Their work revolves around the idea that RNA could have been the molecule responsible for kick-starting life on Earth, preceding the emergence of DNA and proteins.
By creating an RNA molecule capable of accurately copying others and resulting in a functioning enzyme, the researchers have achieved a crucial milestone. While the created molecule isn't yet self-replicating, it represents a significant step towards understanding the origins of life and potentially even creating life in a laboratory setting.
The ability to replicate RNA with high fidelity is essential for Darwinian evolution to occur. Too many errors in replication can lead to the loss of genetic information, while exact replication doesn't allow for the necessary mutations that drive growth and adaptation. The researchers at Salk addressed this challenge by creating an RNA molecule that replicates hammerhead RNA, a molecule capable of chopping other molecules. This process allows for controlled deviation from the original sequence, fostering growth and evolution.
The implications of this research are profound. If scientists can eventually create self-replicating RNA molecules in the lab, it could provide insights into how life arose on Earth and even open up possibilities for creating artificial lifeforms. However, such advancements also raise important ethical questions regarding the creation and manipulation of synthetic life.
Overall, this research represents a significant advancement in our understanding of the origins of life and the potential for creating life in a laboratory setting. It's a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of scientists working in the field of origins of life research.
Gerald Joyce, the president of Salk who co-authored a new paper about the research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said that although the researchers' lab-made molecule isn't yet self-replicating, the one they did create is a huge step to creating life in the lab.
If RNA is created that is able to replicate itself, the Salk president said, "then it would be alive. "This is the road to how life can arise in a laboratory," Joyce said, "or, in principle, anywhere in the universe.

Critical thinking about Miracles, NDEs and Reincarnation

5/19/2024

One of my readers asked “Why do miracles, such as ‘raising the dead’ only happened in the past and not now”. I like to point out that they were not miracles and that they happen thousands of times every day through CPR and other modern medical methods as well as spontaneous. We have not really understood the definition of “dead”. When all activity in the brain stopped (flatlined) it was thought it indicated death. We now have recently found out that the brain can be restarted a much longer time after flatlining than previously assumed. A research project on pigs found that some brain activity could be reinstated hours after they were beheaded. We also have cases where humans woke up in mortuaries. In the past people have been found trying to escape from their coffins, and sometimes a string was attached to a corpse connected to a bell just in case. Many of spontaneous revivals in the past were called miracles.
As far as NDEs are concerned, the return of consciousness after flatlining, causes hallucinations and dreams which are mistakenly thought to be a short visit to an afterlife. Strong belief of its reality as well as its anecdotal recall, makes it seem a true experience to the revived person.
Anecdotal recall of reincarnation is another subject to think critical about. First of all, we know that each person is unique, that’s why we use fingerprints and DNA for identification. Each human is a unique combination of a sperm and egg, so that it’s make-up cannot be a repeat of a previous person or any other animal or plant. Go back a few generations and the resemblance of a living person is incredibly small. The awareness of “self” is created by your memory of the previous day when you wake up. The idea that any “memory” can be transmitted to next generations is ludicrous unless you believe in a magic process which somehow decides to which entity these memories are send and how they are transmitted. Think about it. You are only 50% of your father’s make-up and this halves every generation. You are unique and cannot be reborn. To be the continuation of a past entity or continue your present one is impossible.
I am waiting for your comments since it will stimulate further thinking and shows were my thinking needs corrections. What do you think? Please “share”, the more people reached, the better we can deepen our understanding together.