|
| quote: | Originally posted by PETRAN
Oh and guys read my post lol  (shameless) |
I read your post and it was great - lots of interesting information and results. It seems to me that perhaps the notion of the soul emerged from particularly traumatic or powerfully emotional experiences which jarred these very mental responses observed in the study and that, since the very shamanistic days nefardec mentioned in his excellent post, the very concept of the soul has indeed evolved as well; source of argument in this regard being how the evolution of the concept has indicated to an industry of profity for some people: religion. And I'm not just speaking monetary profit.
Envision that ancient people were afraid of things they simply did not understand - perhaps to them, our standard of logic was something of impossibility. Imagine, if you will, how they would reationalize natural phenomenons such as lightning. *CRASH!* The women and children begin to cry, everyone flinches - the man with an answer is their leader. He says that the Gods have done this - who knows why he says such a thing? Perhaps he is just bullshitting everybody so that he can have some sort of pride, perhaps he truly believes this because his latest herbal trip has "revealed" the true nature of such things to him, or perhaps one of the Gods really did come down and tell him to be fearful of his wrath and is now displaying it for all to tremble in worship. The clergy is established. Believers flock to his charisma and wisdom. People no longer need to find out "why" - this man has the answers. And so life goes on, the cruel weight of greater beings bearing upon the egos of individuals - but at least they are free in death, right? Oh dear, this challenge faces the now high-priest of the tribe - but alas! We have souls now and the Gods' wrath will reach you in death tenfold should you cease to worship them and their Earthly representatives.
___________________
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
|
