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Lädt ... The "God" Part of the Brain: A Scientific Interpretation of Human Spirituality and God (2006. Auflage)von Matthew Alper (Autor)
Werk-InformationenThe "God" Part of the Brain: A Scientific Interpretation of Human Spirituality and God von Matthew Alper
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Melde dich bei LibraryThing an um herauszufinden, ob du dieses Buch mögen würdest. Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch. The best thing about this book is Alper's explanation of why the United States is an outlier among first world countries in terms of religious belief. His thesis is that religion has a genetic basis, the U.S. was founded by religious fanatics, and about 40% of the current population is descended from those fanatics. Zeige 2 von 2 keine Rezensionen | Rezension hinzufügen
Is Man the product of a God...or is "God" the product of human evolution? From the dawn of our species, every human culture-no matter how isolated-has believed in some form of a spiritual realm. According to author Matthew Alper, this is no mere coincidence but rather due to the fact that humans, as a species, are genetically predisposed to believe in the universal concepts of a god, a soul and an afterlife. This instinct to believe is the result of an evolutionary adaptation-a coping mechanism-that emerged in our species to help us survive our unique and otherwise debilitating awareness of death. Spiritual seekers and atheists alike will be compelled and transformed by Matthew Alper's classic study of science and religion. The 'God' Part of the Brain has gained critical acclaim from some of the world's leading scientists, secular humanists, and theologians, and is as a must read for anyone who has pondered the question of God's existence, as well as the meaning of our own. Praise for The "God" Part of the Brain "This cult classic in many ways parallels Rene Descartes' search for reliable and certain knowledge...Drawing on such disciplines as philosophy, psychology, and biology, Alper argues that belief in a spiritual realm is an evolutionary coping method that developed to help humankind deal with the fear of death...Highly recommended."-- Library Journal "I very much enjoyed the account of your spiritual journey and believe it would make excellent reading for every college student - the resultant residence-hall debates would be the best part of their education. It often occurs to me that if, against all odds, there is a judgmental God and heaven, it will come to pass that when the pearly gates open, those who had the valor to think for themselves will be escorted to the head of the line, garlanded, and given their own personal audience." -- Edward O. Wilson, two-time Pulitzer Prize-Winner "This is an essential book for those in search of a scientific understanding of man's spiritual nature. Matthew Alper navigates the reader through a labyrinth of intriguing questions and then offers undoubtedly clear answers that lead to a better understanding of our objective reality." -- Elena Rusyn, MD, PhD; Gray Laboratory; Harvard Medical School "What a wonderful book you have written. It was not only brilliant and provocative but also revolutionary in its approach to spirituality as an inherited trait."-- Arnold Sadwin, MD, former chief of Neuropsychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania "A lively manifesto...For the discipline's specific application to the matter at hand, I've seen nothing that matches the fury of The 'God' Part of the Brain, which perhaps explains why it's earned something of a cult following." -- Salon.com "All 6 billion plus inhabitants of Earth should be in possession of this book. Alper's tome should be placed in the sacred writings' section of libraries, bookstores, and dwellings throughout the world. Matthew Alper is the new Galileo...Immensely important...Defines in a clear and concise manner what each of us already knew but were afraid to admit and exclaim."-- John Scoggins, PhD "Vibrant ... vivacious. An entertaining and provocative introduction to speculations concerning the neural basis of spirituality."-- Free Inquiry Magazine Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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OK. I accept his conclusions in this case, but not his supporting argument. Denying the existence of God, the soul, and spiritual reality is unnecessary. Besides, he never succeeded in more than implying that structures in the brain might be related to spiritual thoughts.
He claims that spiritual consciousness exists as the consequence of a neurophysiological reflex. “Just as planaria reflexively turn towards the light, humankind reflexively turn towards imaginary powers.” Now, logically if that statement is true, “just as” would imply that the “imaginary powers” were as real as “light.” Maybe those genetically evolved brain structures are organs that allow people to see beyond physical reality, “just as” eyes see light.
Alper’s book is pseudo-scientific and muddled. He quotes Kant’s description of reality as “things as we perceive them” but never deals with what “perceive” or “we” actually mean. Who is doing the perceiving? He denies the existence of “mind” and only accepts the existence of “brain.” It was an awful lot of words emerging from a bunch of neurochemicals and genes. ( )