The first 3 words that came to me while staring at a blank piece of paper and thinking about today’s topic – the origin of beliefs – were: fear – belief – love. Both extremes, fear and love, gravitate towards the center: belief. I’m fascinated by human belief systems and evolutionary psychology and thus the combination of both makes perfect sense to me.
While researching a different topic – tolerated theft hypothesis – I stumbled on a useful piece of information: “Advocates of the hunting hypothesis tend to believe that tool use and toolmaking essential to effective hunting were an extremely important part of human evolution, and trace the origin of language and [origin of] religion to a hunting context”. (Wiki)
While digesting that information, the following diagram appeared in my mind:
I believe in the elegance of simplicity and this diagram feels convincing to me.
Let me explain its essence.
The ongoing human survival against the forces of nature – even today – is essential in this diagram.
During this survival, we either satisfy our basic needs (eg, food, water, shelter) or we do not (eg, hunger, thirst, no shelter).
Satisfaction is cause for celebration, a feast with music and dance (also see my blogs on the origin of languages (1) and part two) and the worship of the forces of nature.
The opposite (ie, mourning) gives similar results.
“A number of archeologists propose that Middle Paleolithic societies such as Neanderthal societies may also have practiced early forms of totemism or of animal worship. Emil Bächler in particular suggests (based on archeological evidence from Middle Paleolithic caves) that a widespread Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal bear-cult existed”. (Wiki)
The steps from animal worship to multi gods (polytheism) and then towards 1 God (monotheism) make perfect sense to me. I doubt it will stop there. I expect that the current religions will once “merge” into 1 universal religion that will put the Universe as its center. One could argue that the differences between Nature and Universe are far less than the differences between current religions.
“Belief, like fear or love, is a force to be understood as we understand the theory of relativity and principals of uncertainty. Phenomena that determine the course of our lives.”
A quote from Cloud Atlas (2004 book and 2012 film) by David Mitchell
Belief (2006) by John Mayer
artist, lyrics, video, Wiki-artist, Wiki-song
[Verse 1]
Is there anyone who ever remembers
Changing their mind from the paint on a sign?
Is there anyone who really recalls ever breaking rank, at all
For something someone yelled real loud, one time?
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, everyone believes
In how they think it ought to be
Oh, everyone believes
And they’re not going easily
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise
Note 2: Hat tip to ASK for suggesting this song with its beautiful lyrics !
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