This is a good one, for all kinds of jumping off reasons:
how do i know if it’s faith or delusion
Delusions can be cured with the right pill.
No, seriously, that’s a really good question, and I’m glad a search for the answer led here, so I could see it and respond, albeit not when Anonymous Reader is needing it. Perhaps A.R. will come across this at some point.
I saw it on a blog somewhere a while back as a random comment and I wish I’d been paying attention to where. It was something like, a president can say he talks to god every day and he’s sane. If he says he talks to god through a hair dryer, he’s insane.
Results of a study were mentioned earlier this year in New Scientist that seemed to indicate that those who say they talk to god light up the same bit of the brain as people who talk to imaginary friends in general. Just the feeling that you’re talking to someone lights up the brain, be it god or Santa Claus.
Previous studies have found that the prefrontal cortex is not activated when people interact with inanimate objects, such as a computer game. “The brain doesn’t activate these areas because they don’t expect reciprocity, nor find it necessary to think about the computer’s intentions,” says Schjødt.
He says the results show people believe they are talking to someone when they pray, an outcome that pleased both atheists and Christians: “Atheists said it shows that it’s all an illusion,” says Schjødt, while Christians said it was evidence that God is real.
Robin Dunbar at the University of Oxford points out that the study proves neither: “This has nothing to do with whether God exists or not, only with subjects’ beliefs about whether God exists.”
I highlighted the last bit because I thought it was important. Same goes for a delusion about someone’s invisible friend, probably. We assume there are no invisible people around because it’s rational to think so but kids will still design friends for themselves that no one else can see. Why? Is it built into the brain to delude ourselves for pleasure? Or do we do it for our sanity? Delusions aren’t necessarily bad, either, not if they ultimately lead to worthwhile things.
I’ve just reminded myself of a book that should have made my 15 books in 15 minutes list and I’m kicking myself for not including it now. There’s a bit in Hogfather by Terry Pratchett that I love mentioning and it’s near the end of the book, but not an ending spoiler if someone does wind up wanting to read it. Susan Sto Helit is talking to her grandfather, Death (really), about humanity and its proclivities.
‘All right,’ said Susan. ‘I’m not stupid. You’re saying humans need … fantasies to make life bearable.’
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
‘Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little–’
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
‘So we can believe the big ones?’
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
‘They’re not the same at all!’
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET– Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME … SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
‘Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what’s the point–’
MY POINT EXACTLY.
At the end of the conversation, Death makes a good point about humanity, in that we need to believe in things like that, things that aren’t real and tangible and quantifiable, so we can make them real. Mercy is worth having faith in. Justice, too. If you want to believe and have faith that God is the way to both, go for it. Whether you’re right or not, at least you’re aiming for something good and worthwhile.
July 29, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I like the new banner.