The "God" Part of the Brain, by Matthew Alper

[anotherneil]

Is anyone here familiar with this book? Although I haven't read it, I have heard the author interviewed about it, so I have an overview or superficial idea of what it's about.

In an interview with the author, they're discussing the gene or series of genes involved in producing a belief in deities, an afterlife, etc., and he's asked, "how did it get there - who put it there?" The way he responds to this is rather vague, and essentially, he simply doesn't know.

There is another book - one that I have read ("Rule by Secrecy" by Jim Marrs), that inspired me to come up with a possible explanation that would answer that question (of who put it there or how it got there); essentially, it's the portion of the book that discusses Hasan's method of recruiting people to make them assassins.

 

[Nakosis]

Is anyone here familiar with this book? Although I haven't read it, I have heard the author interviewed about it, so I have an overview or superficial idea of what it's about.

In an interview with the author, they're discussing the gene or series of genes involved in producing a belief in deities, an afterlife, etc., and he's asked, "how did it get there - who put it there?" The way he responds to this is rather vague, and essentially, he simply doesn't know.

There is another book - one that I have read ("Rule by Secrecy" by Jim Marrs), that inspired me to come up with a possible explanation that would answer that question (of who put it there or how it got there); essentially, it's the portion of the book that discusses Hasan's method of recruiting people to make them assassins.

Mostly pseudo-science imo.
Still humans are born with a operating system of sorts, based on our genetics, which may predispose humans to belief in invisible forces which control our lives. However, certainly there could be many other explanations for this.

 

[The Hammer]

Is anyone here familiar with this book? Although I haven't read it, I have heard the author interviewed about it, so I have an overview or superficial idea of what it's about.

In an interview with the author, they're discussing the gene or series of genes involved in producing a belief in deities, an afterlife, etc., and he's asked, "how did it get there - who put it there?" The way he responds to this is rather vague, and essentially, he simply doesn't know.

There is another book - one that I have read ("Rule by Secrecy" by Jim Marrs), that inspired me to come up with a possible explanation that would answer that question (of who put it there or how it got there); essentially, it's the portion of the book that discusses Hasan's method of recruiting people to make them assassins.

Heard of it, don't know much about it though. I have read this book though and found it interesting.

How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist — Andrew Newberg

Based on new evidence culled from their brain-scan studies on memory patients and meditators, their web-based survey of people's religious and spiritual experiences, and their analyses of adult drawings of God, Andrew and therapist Mark Robert Waldman, and their research team, have concluded that ac

www.andrewnewberg.com

 

[wellwisher]

The most wired part of the brain is the thalamus region located in the center of the brain. The thalamus is surrounded by the limbic system and the ventricles; reservoirs of cerebral spinal fluid. The thalamus is analogous the fusion core of the sun, in terms of neural priority.

The thalamus is like the central switching station of the brain, receiving signals from all parts of the brain, spine and nervous system. It process the data in an integrated way and then send out signals to all the parts of the brain and body, as needed. In terms of consciousness, this region would be the place of the inner self or the natural primary center of consciousness, common to all animals. This could be called the God part of the brain, due to its central integrating role. It is connected to our DNA and eons of natural selection; firmware.

My guess is the ego or the secondary center of modern human consciousness is connected to the cerebellum, which is the darker mauve aspect of the brain; lower right near the brain stem. The cerebellum is about 10% of the brain's mass, but it has 50% of the brain's neurons. Like the thalamus, the cerebellum is also wired to almost everything and sends very complex signals to the thalamus.

The main difference between the neurons in the cerebellum and cerebral is that the neurons in the cerebral have sheathing sort of like insulation that takes up more space. This sheathing appears to insulate and isolate axons and dendrites branches so signals stay true with less lateral influence. While the lack of sheathing in the cerebellum neurons is more designed for integrated interactions; cross bleeding effect. The cerebral is better for memory differentiation, while the cerebellum is more for memory blending for smooth interactions.

Your cerebellum is the part of your brain that helps coordinate and regulate a wide range of functions and processes in both your brain and body. It coordinates muscle movements of the body, and is involved with timing. A symphony orchestra depends on the cerebella of all the musicians. It gives everyone perfection in technique and timing. But it is also involved in the processing of language, with language playing a large role in thinking. Talking and facial gestures would not be very smooth; charming, if we had problems with the cerebellum. In terms of computer gaming, character motion is not yet perfect, since computers do not have a cerebellum to coordinate movement.

The classic claim of humans; ego, having will and choice, suggest the the ego is centered in the cerebellum, since the cerebellum is the central processing area for smooth and coordinated motion, as well as language and thought; both connected to our ego centric willful choices. The relation between the thalamus and the cerebellum is like god to man.

The brain has what are called pacer cells which are cells that pulsate in rhythmic fashion like a metronome in music. This rhythmic timing can be scaled and is used by the thalamus to time project; anticipate future outcomes in 3-D; amounts to 4-D thought. This 4-D aspect would be symbolically connected to the God aspects; eternal anticipation.

In my experience the thalamus projects to the future, plays it back, and then make adjusts for the next cycle, based on real time data and previous anticipated outcomes. If you were a lioness, looking to attack prey, the angle and approach is shifting, as the prey moves and other environmental factors appear; shift in the wind.

Since the cerebellum is connected to smooth muscular coordination, subtle feelings in the body; gut feeling, connected to stimulus are often connected to thalamus output to the cerebellum. This is a language one can learn with practice. Arousal, which is also part of consciousness, is processed in the brain stem; awareness also appears by a feeling in the body; sense of something.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Is anyone here familiar with this book?

No, but you might consider ...

In Gods We Trust: The Evolutionary Landscape of Religion​

by Scott Atran.

 

[Mock Turtle]

No, but you might consider ...

In Gods We Trust: The Evolutionary Landscape of Religion​

by Scott Atran.

I've read the other book mentioned in that link and found it useful:

https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Explained-Evolutionary-Origins-Religious/dp/0465006965/

 

[wellwisher]

One common aspect of many, if not all religions, is connected to the awareness of something or someone(s) that is separate from oneself; separate from the ego. These others are not easy to investigate by science; God, gods or even aliens from another planet. Gods, like aliens from other planets, all come from the heavens; outer space, and are hard to investigate beyond claims, since they are not tangible enough for a full science investigation. In that respect, aliens from space are a type of modern mythology.

All these affects appear to have a connection to a second center of consciousness, within the human brain, that is sensed and sometime perceived, but which is not easy to pin down, quantitatively, with science. Such things could be explained as coming from a secondary center within the human brain; thalamus, which is actually the primary center of the brain; inner self common to all animals. The status of primary is inferred since all these representations, common to many cultures, tend to be higher than the ego; God, gods, or even advance aliens from planet X. They represent the hierarchy of inner self; gods and aliens, to the ego; humans.

Computers are not conscious in the same sense as humans. All consciousness that we know, even by science criteria are connected to organic computing, such as in an animal brain. We know the brain can support one manifestation of consciousness, since we are all self aware and can see many animal examples in nature. The question becomes, can the human animal brain, accommodate two centers?

There are many examples of multiple personality disorders, where many distant and separate ego personalities can appear in some subjects. The idea of two stable centers, being supported by the human brain's organic neural matrix is not outside the realm of possibility. Two centers explains many things, very easily, as well as offers a potential way to develop higher human potential. The original or primary animal center uses the full brain; genetically wired to all the cells; animal vitality. The conscious mind or ego is estimated to use 10%, unless the inner self is cooperating, then it can periodically approach 100%; star athlete or genius at their best.

If you look at our sensory systems, various input enters the eyes, ears, etc., and then flow into the brain to be further processed. This series of events head toward central integrating centers, like the thalamus and cerebellum, and are then outputted as part of real time actions. If such integrating centers were to output, back into the sensory pathways, we would be aware of something that appears to enter the senses from the outside but starts from the inside. There is a common effect called projection, where what is inside, trying to become conscious, but is ignored, enters the sensory pathways, so we can we can appear to see or feel it as outside, where our attention lies.

A very common example is the cheating spouse starts to feel like the loyal spouse is cheating. The former is in state of denial of what they are doing is wrong, so they repress any sense of guilt. This feedback pathway from the inner self is blocked; conscience. It is rerouted and reappears as a projection; enters a sensory pathway, where projected cues seem to appear in the environment; loyal spouse if cheating. This is like a movie overlay into reality, from a movie projector; real plus secondary overlay.

These projection dynamics are from the inner self, attempting to lower the brain potential, caused by the repression. If one assumes there is no secondary center, then one will ignore any direct inner insight; willful neglect; Subconscious is full of garbage. The inner self then uses another pathway to solve the energy problem. Science assumes everything good and tangible is outside us; philosophy of science. So the projection to outside us will get our attention much easier. We get a look in the mirror.

In my experience and my then acceptance of the reality of the inner self; faith in what cannot be seen with the eyes, led to the intuition, that if one could harness this second POV, that has better processing and integrating power; develop an interactive rapport, you could use it to help solve practical problems, in science and culture, that cause repression; anxiety or obsession.

The world's Religions were very useful to this end since they appear to be connected to the base wiring; firmware, of the inner self; natural output when the ego was first consolidating; initial virtual ego. The base wiring is needed to wire the ego into the inner self, in a more practical way, that can take advantage of the gifts that are available to all; spatial wiring so it can get spatial signals.The science of consciousness; thalamus IT, is where science and religion merge. You will need both. You will the sword of reason and the shield of faith. This wiring first must pass through the dark side of mythology and all the alien bogeymen. But after that it is easier. I could have left this last paragraph out, to stay rational, but this understanding will be needed by help those who take on the quest. It is not just reward without sacrifice; liberalism.

 

[wellwisher]

I would like to expand on the concept of the "virtual ego". The ego is the wired center of the conscious mind. The inner self is the wired center of the collective unconscious mind; natural instinct from our DNA, that defines humans as a species.

The concept of a virtual ego, is more of less an embryonic ego state, that is not fully hard wired, but can be induced, and like a seed can begin the process of full wiring. But since it is not wired, without continued outside inductions; learning and teaching, and can phase in and out and even disappear. The human virtual ego seems to have appeared about 10K years ago, but was not initially stable but would often phase out and the person would revert back to one center; inner self and human instinct; symbol of Adam in paradise

The easiest example to see of a virtual ego, are within our pets like domesticated dogs. When you get a puppy, they are like clay you can will mold to yourself. They grow an attachment to you and develop behaviors based on how you train or not train them. This extra layer of behavior, is not in their DNA, but is trained by you; consciously or unconsciously; from obedience to aggressive neurosis to spoiled baby. Once the virtual is wired and active, they can use it to lead, via this trained behavior. My dogs and cats will shake me down for treats or anticipate me getting ready to go for my walk. One of my dogs will get in front of me; off leash, be the point dog, who looks ahead for me. If a pet dog was to run away, their unique virtual ego will start to disappear, and over time they will become feral; their virtual ego loses potential and their primary center returns to direct their consciousness.

Pigs can also develop a virtual ego and learn to become and behave domesticated and friendly, even with little attention besides feeding. If they escape to the wild, they will revert back to a wild pigs and in a short time their bodies will even start to change such as grow thicker fur and tusks; inner self making changes for its new needs.

In the case of the pre-humans; before the ego secondary was hard wired, it seems logical that the human ego began as a virtual ego secondary. But with humans at the top of the food chain, where did their programming come from, so, like our pets, the human virtual ego could become useful and not disappear; reinforcement and practice. Without constant attention; escape, these pre-humans would become feral as they revert back to their single primary; inner self and back to natural instinct. It must have been a weird transitional time; pre-humans with an inner self, and transitional humans with a virtual ego and an inner self.

My theory is the inner self was in charge of programing of the virtual ego; the virtual ego was the pet of the inner self. The programming, was not so much from the outside; aliens, but more from an inner self process similar to projection. The inner self and thalamus were already the central switching and integration centers, that the modern ego uses and these channels were developing for a secondary center foundation.

The power of religion on early civilized behavior suggests this training and learning occurred similar to a projection effect, where the lessons needed to alter behavior, were coming from internal effects, that had an external based impact; projection overlay. Later this could occur through dreams and active imagination to create the mythology of old, which by external learning had an impact on the collective wiring.

The transition from BC to AD appears to be when the ego finally consolidates and the conscious connections to the inner self focus began to break. The inner self scaffolding is removed. BC to AD is connected to the Sacrifice the Gods; Jesus. In BC the gods were more active due to more consciousness of the inner self; scaffolding. With the removal of the scaffolding, came the Dark Ages, as the ego lost its training wheels and had to learn to ride again under its own collective power; ascetic.