Religion as Make-Believe: A Theory of Belief, Imagination, and Group Identity
Jun 11, 2024
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Neuroscientist and philosopher Neil Van Leeuwen discusses the unique cognitive epistemology of religious beliefs, contrasting them with factual beliefs. He explores how religious credence functions as a form of imagination to define group identity and values. The podcast delves into the interplay of sacred values, conflicts between religious beliefs and scientific claims, and the complexities of maintaining religious faith while experiencing doubts.
Religious beliefs function like make-believe play guided by imagination, defining group identity.
Religion operates with two cognitive maps - factual beliefs and religious credence.
Distinction exists between content and attitude types of beliefs, shaping individual relations.
Religious credence transcends rationality, driven by emotional and social gratification.
Deep dives
The Influence of Foundational Math on Understanding Concepts
Learning about foundational math plays a crucial role in grasping more advanced concepts. Embracing a first principles approach helps in building a solid understanding from the basics up. This approach proves beneficial, especially for individuals lacking formal math training, like in the case of algebra.
Religious Beliefs and the Sociological Perspective
When discussing religious beliefs, various fields such as sociology, anthropology, and psychology offer unique insights. These disciplines explore questions around why individuals believe in God or join religions, delving into the personal, social, and cultural purposes of religious engagement.
The Distinction Between Content and Attitude Type in Belief Systems
A crucial distinction in belief systems lies between content and attitude type. While content reflects the essence or subject matter of a belief, attitude type emphasizes how one relates to that content. This distinction becomes evident in contrasting scenarios like the belief in Elvis's existence, showcasing different ways of relating to the same content.
Reflecting on Religious Credence as Different from Factual Belief
Religious credence veers away from traditional factual belief by delving into a unique cognitive relation towards ideas. Individuals engaging in religious credence adopt a distinct attitude type, not solely driven by empirical evidence but by deeper emotional and social satisfactions. This different approach to beliefs reflects a cognitive dynamic beyond rational comprehension.
Luring into a Financial Scam
Individuals captivated by the charm of a man on a private jet are enticed into a whirlwind romance involving luxurious trips and promises of significant business deals. The mysterious figure eventually requests a substantial sum of money, prompting a critical decision for the target – a financial gamble or a revelation of deception, showcasing the emotional manipulation employed in this elaborate scheme.
Religious Belief vs. Rationality
Examining the contrast between religious beliefs, like mythical pantheons and supernatural claims, against the backdrop of human rationality challenges the notion of religious rationality. The podcast delves into the complexity of religious credence and the diverse interpretations of faith, highlighting how religious narratives often deviate from conventional factual beliefs.
Psychological Dynamics of Religious Deconversion
The process of transitioning away from religious beliefs is explored through the lens of social influences and moral disillusionment. Insights from conversion and deconversion literature suggest that group dynamics, moral conflicts, and critical evaluations of religious doctrines play pivotal roles in the reassessment of personal religious credences, shedding light on the interplay between individual belief systems and social contexts.
We often assume that religious beliefs are no different in kind from ordinary factual beliefs—that believing in the existence of God or of supernatural entities that hear our prayers is akin to believing that May comes before June. Neuroscientist and philosopher Neil Van Leeuwen shows that, in fact, these two forms of belief are strikingly different. Our brains do not process religious beliefs like they do beliefs concerning mundane reality; instead, empirical findings show that religious beliefs function like the imaginings that guide make-believe play.
Van Leeuwen argues that religious belief―which he terms religious “credence”―is best understood as a form of imagination that people use to define the identity of their group and express the values they hold sacred. When a person pretends, they navigate the world by consulting two maps: the first represents mundane reality, and the second superimposes the features of the imagined world atop the first. Drawing on psychological, linguistic, and anthropological evidence, Van Leeuwen posits that religious communities operate in much the same way, consulting a factual-belief map that represents ordinary objects and events and a religious-credence map that accords these objects and events imagined sacred and supernatural significance.
It is hardly controversial to suggest that religion has a social function, but Religion as Make-Believe breaks new ground by theorizing the underlying cognitive mechanisms. Once we recognize that our minds process factual and religious beliefs in fundamentally different ways, we can gain deeper understanding of the complex individual and group psychology of religious faith.
Neil Van Leeuwen is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Neuroscience at Georgia State University and a recipient of the European Commission’s Marie Curie Fellowship. His research has been featured in The New York Times and The Atlantic and on NPR. His new book is Religion as Make-Believe: A Theory of Belief, Imagination and Group Identity.
Shermer and Van Leeuwen discuss: his own personal religious journey (or lack thereof) • “believe,” “make-believe,” and “pretend play” • “taking God seriously” • 4 Principles of Factual Belief • Tanya Luhrmann’s How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible Others • willing suspension of disbelief • group identity • sacred values • The Puzzle of Religious Rationality • that voice we all hear in our heads • “hearing the voice of God” • hallucinations and psychoses • sleep paralysis • angels and demons • sensed presences • witches and witchcraft.
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