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Why Do We Believe in Gods? Religious Belief 'Not Linked to Intuition or Rational Thinking'

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Religious beliefs are not linked to intuition or rational thinking, according to new research by the universities of Coventry and Oxford.

Previous studies have suggested people who hold strong religious beliefs are more intuitive and less analytical, and when they think more analytically their religious beliefs decrease.

But new research, by academics from Coventry University’s Centre for Advances in Behavioural Science and neuroscientists and philosophers at Oxford University, suggests that is not the case, and that people are not ‘born believers’. The study challenges a growing trend that has attempted to show that believing in the supernatural is something that comes to us ‘naturally’ or intuitively.

Pantheon of Gods

Credit: Grizzli / Wikimedia Commons

The study – which included tests on pilgrims taking part in the famous Camino de Santiago and a brain stimulation experiment – found no link between intuitive/analytical thinking, or cognitive inhibition (an ability to suppress unwanted thoughts and actions), and supernatural beliefs.

Instead, the academics conclude that other factors, such as upbringing and socio-cultural processes, are more likely to play a greater role in religious beliefs.

The study – published in Scientific Reports — was the first to challenge a growing trend among cognitive psychologists over the past 20 years that has attempted to show that believing in the supernatural is something that comes to us ‘naturally’ or intuitively.

The team started by carrying out an investigation on one of the largest pilgrimage routes in the world – the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, in northern Spain.

They asked pilgrims about the strength of their beliefs and the length of time spent on the pilgrimage and assessed their levels of intuitive thinking with a probability task, where participants had to decide between a logical and a ‘gut feeling’ choice.

The results suggested no link between strength of supernatural belief and intuition.

In a second study, where they used mathematical puzzles to increase intuition, they also found no link between levels of intuitive thinking and supernatural belief.

In the last part of their research they used brain stimulation to increase levels of cognitive inhibition, which is thought to regulate analytical thinking.

This involved running a painless electrical current between two electrodes placed on the participant’s scalp, to activate the right inferior frontal gyrus, a part of the brain that controls inhibitory control.

A previous brain-imaging study had shown that atheists used this area of the brain more when they wanted to suppress supernatural ideas.

The results showed that while this brain stimulation increased levels of cognitive inhibition, it did not change levels of supernatural belief, suggesting there is no direct link between cognitive inhibition and supernatural belief.

The academics say that it is “premature” to explain belief in gods as intuitive or natural.

Instead, they say their research supports a theory that religion is a nurture-based process and develops because of socio-cultural processes, including upbringing and education.

Leading author Miguel Farias said:

“What drives our belief in gods – intuition or reason; heart or head? There has been a long debate on this matter but our studies have challenged the theory that being a religious believer is determined by how much individuals rely on intuitive or analytical thinking.

“We don’t think people are ‘born believers’ in the same way we inevitably learn a language at an early age. The available sociological and historical data show that what we believe in is mainly based on social and educational factors, and not on cognitive styles, such as intuitive/analytical thinking.

“Religious belief is most likely rooted in culture rather than in some primitive gut intuition.”

Contacts and sources:
Alison Martin
Coventry University


Source: http://www.ineffableisland.com/2017/11/why-do-we-believe-in-gods-religious.html


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    Total 12 comments
    • freedomringsforall

      Remember this is coming from Oxford – red flag!

      don’t believe this bs

      when you read the Bible and see that it correlates with the world around you that is called rational thought !

      • plsnogod

        HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

        Rational thought and religion??? No connection, but what a hilarious comment from someone who sings to an invisible man in the sky..

      • Andy

        when you read the bible you realise it’s nothing more than a man-made fiction

        *the bible is a man-made FICTION*
        - all powerful god can create an entire infinite universe, but can’t manage to pen a single sentence of his own book?
        - can send his only living son to die for all humanity, yet he can’t manage to pen a single sentence of his own book either?
        - all scriptures were written by ignorant men who didn’t know what gravity, electricity, bacterium & viruses are
        - all scriptures were written in the languages of men
        - all scriptures were written using tools invented by men (pen, paper, ink, etc)
        – the bible was AUTHORED by the pagan roman emperor Constantine at the council of Nicaea in the yr 325ad
        - the bible is replete with thousands of contradictions and factually incorrect info
        - the FACT that neither god nor jesus penned a single sentence of their own book is the very strongest of evidence that neither ever wanted such a book written,,,, ,,,, but then, fairy-tale characters can’t write their own fairy-tale now can they

    • Pink Slime

      LOL! What about your religious belief there is no god??? That you are, therefore GOD!! That’s even more irrational.

      Youz guyz are so funny sometimes. Fatherless MORONS! :cool:

      • plsnogod

        You clearly have far too much time on your hands,since you spray out your many tedious(and unfunny)posts like an incontinent do-NUT. Do you not realise how boring what you have to say is??

        As for science being a religion,you could not be less informed. Science is about testing theory,and either proving or not proving a statement or fact. Your ‘faith’ over reason approach is both comical and fatuous in equal measure.

        As for an atheist being ‘god’, that is even more stupid than your usual ”comments”.
        I am guessing you are either very young(as per your childish posts), or very stupid, or indeed both.

        • Pink Slime

          I did not know you like boring stuff. I will write some more to keep your interest. :lol:

          • Anonymous

            “GOT to keep the loonies on the path :!: :!: :!: ” – pink Floyd the Barber

      • Man

        it isn’t a religious belief. It is a rejection of an unproven claim that there is a god

        There are no tenants or dogma to follow when not believing in a god. Either you do or you don’t

        • Pink Slime

          Yeah, I know. I have been trying to get youse guyz and your rejection of an unproven claim there is NO god. :lol:

          Once you know there is a god it cannot be UNKNOWN. Duhhhh…… :arrow: :neutral:

    • Anonymous

      Well, it depends entirely on what we choose to believe eh? Below is what I believe, for anyone that may be interested to know…

      The universal Law of myoho-renge-kyo represents the identity of what some now refer to as the ‘unified field of all consciousnesses’. In other words, it’s the essence of all existence and non-existence, the ultimate creative force behind planets, stars, nebulae, people, animals, trees, fish, birds and all phenomena, manifest or latent. All matter and intelligence are simply waves or ripples manifesting to and from this core source.

      Consciousness (enlightenment) is itself the true creator of everything that is, ever was and ever will be, right down to the minutest particles of dust, each being an individual ripple or wave. The big difference between chanting ‘Nam-myoho-re and most conventional prayers is that instead of depending on a middleman to connect us to our state of enlightenment, we’re able to do it ourselves by tapping directly into it by way of self-produced sound vibration.

      On the subject of ‘what or who is God?’, when we compare the concept of ‘God’, as a separate entity that is forever watching down on us, to Nichiren’s teachings, the true omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence of what most people call ‘God’ is our enlightenment, which exists nowhere else but within us. When the disciples asked Jesus where the Kingdom of God is, didn’t he tell them that it was within them?

      Some say that ‘God’ is an entity that can never be seen. I think that the vast amount of information that is constantly being conveyed via electromagnetic waves gives us proof of how an invisible state of what many call ‘God’ could actually exist. It’s widely known that certain data being relayed by way of electromagnetic waves has the potential to help bring about extraordinary and powerful effects, including instant global awareness of something or mass emotional reaction. As well as many other things, it’s also common knowledge that these waves can be used to detonate a bomb or to even enable NASA to control the movements of a robot as far away as the Moon or Mars. However, none of this is possible without a receiver to decode the information that is being transmitted. Without the receiver, the information would remain impotent. In a similar way, it’s very important for us to have our receiver switched on so that we can activate a clear and precise understanding of our life, all other life and who we and all else that exists truly is.

      Chanting ‘Nam-myoho-renge-kyo’ allows us to achieve this because it lets us to reach into the core of our enlightenment and switch it on. That’s because, as I mentioned before, the sound vibration of ‘myoho-renge-kyo’ represents the combination of the three major laws that underlie all existence. ‘Myoho’ represents the Law of latency and manifestation (Nature), and consists of two alternating states. One state of ‘myo’ is where everything in life that’s not obvious to us exists. This includes our stored memories when we’re not thinking about them, our hidden potential and inner emotions whenever they’re not being expressed, our desires, our fears, our wisdom, happiness, karma, and more importantly, our enlightenment. The other state, ‘ho’, is where everything in Life exists whenever it becomes obvious to us, such as when a thought pops up from our memory, whenever we experience or express our emotions, or whenever a good or bad effect comes forth from our karma. When anything becomes apparent, it simply means that it has come out of the state of ‘myo’ (dormancy/latency) and into a state of ‘ho’ (manifestation). It’s the difference between consciousness and unconsciousness, being awake or asleep, or knowing and not knowing something.

      The second law, ‘renge’, governs and controls the functions of ‘myoho’ – ‘ren’ meaning cause and ‘ge’ meaning effect. These two laws, ‘myoho’ and ‘renge’, work together simultaneously and underlie all spiritual and physical existence. The final and third part of the tri-combination, ‘kyo’, is what allows the law ‘myoho’ to integrate with the law ‘renge’. It’s the great, invisible thread of energy that fuses and connects together all Life and matter, as well as the past, present and future. It is often termed the Universal Law of Communication. Perhaps it could even be compared to the ‘string theory’ that some scientists now suspect exist.

      Just as our body cells, thoughts, feelings and all else are constantly fluctuating within us, everything in the world around us and beyond is also in a constant state of flux, in accordance with these three laws. In fact, more things are going back and forth between the two states of ‘myo’ and ‘ho’ in a single moment than it would ever be possible for us to calculate or describe. And it doesn’t matter how big, small, important or trivial anything may appear to be, everything that’s ever existed in the past, exists now, or will exist in the future, exists only because of the workings of ‘myoho-renge-kyo’. These three laws are also the basis of the four fundamental forces and if they didn’t function, neither we nor anything else could go on existing. Simply put, all forms of existence, including the seasons, day and night, birth, death and so on, are moving forward in an ongoing flow of continuation, rhythmically reverting back and forth between the two states of ‘myo’ and ‘ho’ in accordance with ‘renge’ and by way of ‘kyo’. Even stars are dying and being reborn again in accordance with the workings of ‘myoho-renge-kyo’.

      ‘Nam’ is a password or key; it allows us to reach deep into our life and fuse with or become one with ‘myoho-renge-kyo’. On a more personal basis, nothing ever happens by chance or coincidence, it’s the causes that we’ve made in our past, or are presently making, that determine how these laws function uniquely in each of our lives from moment to moment, as well as our environment. By facing east, in harmony with the direction that the Earth turns and rhythmically chanting ‘Nam-myoho-renge-kyo’ repeatedly for a minimum of ten minutes daily, any of us can gain actual proof of its effects in our life. By building up a force from within, it allows us to pierce through even the thickest layers of our karma and reach directly into the ultimate wisdom of our and all other life. Unlike the fantasy of a magic wand to make our problems vanish, chanting ‘Nam-myoho-renge-kyo’ awakens our innate wisdom and brings to the surface our hidden potential, a much clearer realisation and understanding of our good and bad karma, and positive ways that we can both cope with and change our negative circumstances into positive ones. It brings forth the wisdom that can free us from the ignorance and stupidity that is preventing us from accepting and being proud of who we truly are, regardless of our race, colour, gender or sexual preference. It also allows us to see and understand things outside of ourselves more clearly and, by way of the electromagnetic forces of which we are all a part, helps us to connect with, or draw towards us, any external circumstances or help that we need. Proof of this effect soon becomes obvious to anyone who chants ‘Nam-myoho-renge-kyo’ on a regular basis. Of course, the more sincerely we chant, the more powerful and faster its effect will be.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfRcUpoPl7w&t=24s

    • Pgh.Oldtimer

      Yahoveh is the living God that created all things and will soon judge us all. Making up your own stories will not protect you on the final day. :cool:

    • BungalowBud

      Not me. Both increase each other.

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