Category Archives: Cognitive Science
Sanctified Therapists
This post was inspired by my conversation with an atheist who felt that religious therapists are categorically dangerous: Religions offer their followers many things besides the false promises of salvation, eternal life or miracles. They offer community, identity, education and … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Philosophy, Religion
Filtering out Ourselves
I love images to express thoughts. Here I show myself as a cloud (fuzzy bundle) of all sorts of habits, beliefs, likes and dislikes. Depending on the filters people use when they look at me, only certain salient traits will … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Philosophy, Religion
How Unique is Your Religion?
In my post entitled “We aren’t a religion“, I tried to illustrate how this phrase is used by some folks to, somewhat deceptively, declare themselves to be unique. A Christian commentor then claimed just that: “Christianity is unique.” I started … Continue reading
Filed under Christianity, Cognitive Science, Critical Thinking, Philosophy, Religion
Global-Enlightenment Myths
I believe that meditation can offer a person valuable skills and insights. But I don’t believe meditation can turn anyone into a god or anything god-like. Many meditators claim that they or their masters have “the ability to see reality … Continue reading
Filed under Buddhism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Philosophy, Religion, Science
Buddhist Dog-Brain
For the most part, dogs in the USA have it made: They don’t have to work. They don’t have to worry about rent or taxes, They don’t have to worry about feeding their kids. So if I had to choose, … Continue reading
Filed under Buddhism, Cognitive Science, Philosophy, Religion
“Why I” Delusions
We all have dozens of “Why I …” stories which we use to repeatedly explain who we are. We become secure in these stories as people have nodded to them in agreement over the years. Here are just a few … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Critical Thinking
Debunking the “Death Rock”
In a previous post (“Death Rock“) I wrote a story about hallucinating a boulder accurately warning me of pending death. Below I offer a short rational explanation that shows how this experience can be explained in naturalistic terms instead of … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Religion, Science
Anatomy of Superstition
I have written about many of my “supernatural” experiences. When writing those posts, I tried to relate them with the same mind and same eyes I had at the time of the experiences. Indeed, my memory of the incidents is … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Religion
Buddhist vs. Christian Bells
I loved the deep vibrant sound of the Japanese Buddhist temple bells which often filled the air of my home city in Kyoto Japan. But I have met several Japanese who do not like temple bells because they remind them … Continue reading
Filed under Buddhism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Philosophy
Classifying Atheists (part II)
My chart in the last post looked at two qualities of Atheists in relationship to discussing religion: their systematic interest level in religion and their religious temperament. Below is the same chart but now plainly illustrating some sub-groups. My experience … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Islam, Judaism, Philosophy, Religion
The Muehlhauser Illusion
Cognitive illusions can be as strong as visual illusions — even if you know you have them, you can’t stop your mind from producing them. Here is a 38 seconds visual illusion (my first YouTube video attempt). To make this … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Cognitive Science, Philosophy, Religion
I write like …
Just because you are an atheist, doesn’t mean you are free of all superstitious thinking. I have lately seen several atheist sites that are posting a badge like the one below. The badge this site offers is your own personalized … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Religion
Toy Story 3: Make-Believe
My 8-year-old daughter has a huge collection of little toy animals which she plays with daily. She has given each a name, a unique personality and its own voice. She can sit for hours and play with them all alone, … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science
The Ex-Lover Illusion
Our brains have receptor sites for morphine, nicotine, caffeine and marijuana. That is because these substances perform functions which our brains do naturally. Marijuana, for instance, helps us forget – and it appears that those receptor sites serve in our memory functions. … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Philosophy
The Moral Mind
This is part of my series on “How to Make a Christian“. In that post, I illustrated what an adult’s modular mind looks like before they become a Christian (seen to the right). This post elaborates on the inner workings … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Ethics, Philosophy, Religion
Astral Projection
I often fly through the sky in my dreams. I flew more in my younger years, but I fortunately still do occasionally. I can vividly and fondly remember these dreams almost as if I really flew — almost like … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Events, Hindu, Religion
Woo Woo in your fingers
At the bottom of this post are pictures of 11 commenters hands. A recent study claims that people with relatively small ring fingers are more susceptible to superstitious thinking. My blog illustrates my own personal susceptibility too superstitious perceptions which … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Mysticism, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Science
Religous Folks aren’t Delusional
Well, I guess it is all relative. Heck, even atheists can be delusional. But Tom Rees, reviewing an article at his fine site: Epiphenom, shows that New Agers are wackier than everyone. I particularly enjoyed Tom’s speculation that when … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Religion, Science
Defining Religion: a syndrome model
Religion (a syndrome definition): A) Religion must offer all of these: Source(s) Of Knowledge through Authorities and/or Revelation via: Living People: Shamans, Priests, Mystics, Ministers, Rabbis … Recorded Texts Tradition: oral, behavioral, institutional Community bonds: or tribal unity Encourages in-group … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Religion
Telekinesis: My magic power !
60% of my readers have this power – take the poll ! – I am an adult and I still feel magic power in me. I put my hand out and open the automatic doors at grocery stores and hospitals. … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Religion
Beliefs as Circuit Components
Beliefs are like electronic parts. Each belief can serve several functions depending on relationships. (e.g., a capacitor can serve as a filter, blocking DC or it can damp changes in voltage.) Beliefs have relationships to other beliefs and to the … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Theology
Hyper-rationalist Zeal !
Hyper-rationalists feel that, as a commenter on Athiest Nexus wrote, “… [we] want our beliefs to be as accurate as possible — regardless of whether they are comforting or not!” I am not sure I agree with this. Our beliefs … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science
Web of Beliefs
The diagram below is one I used to discuss my view of “Many Selves, No Self“. The dots are modules of mind and the lines are the ways they interconnect and operate together. The connected dots form a self — … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue
Prayer DOES work
Another excellent post by Tom Rees at Epiphenom shows that prayer works. Mind you, as my previous post showed, magic prayer does not work, but prayer that amounts to self talk does work. I have often said that the problem … Continue reading
Filed under Christianity, Cognitive Science, Religion, Science
The Theist in the Atheist
Dualism is an instinct — you are born with the feeling that a “real you” will survive death. Indeed, the inborn nature of this idea can be a starting point of conversation between Theists and Atheists. This link is to … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Mysticism, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Science
Brown Eggs & Baby Carrots
We were driving in the country and I saw a sign advertising “Brown Eggs”. Later that day, I decided to take an informal poll and asked many of the people at our July 4th gathering what they thought of “Brown … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Critical Thinking, Humor
My Worldview
Below are my posts written to explain my personal philosophy, values or worldview. Updated to and including my December 2010 posts My odd traits and stories Though I am an atheist, I have religious and superstitious tendencies. Atheists come in … Continue reading
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Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Critical Thinking, Ethics, Evolution, Mysticism, Philosophy, Religion, Religious Dialogue, Science
Many-Selves, No-Self
Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes). – Walt Whitman (Song of Myself, 1855 Leaves of Grass) I call my theory of self “Many-Selves, No-Self”. My theory is similar to insights … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Buddhism, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Philosophy, Religion, Science
Rules or Consequences
Today I was teaching yet another person how to play the amazing Asian strategy Game of GO. After several lessons, my student (a 44 year-old physician) ventured into philosophical speculations — a tendency that eventually joyfully befalls all serious GO … Continue reading
Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Mathematics, Philosophy, Science
Schizophrenia Saves Us
Humans have odd diseases that you’d expect to be weeded out of the genome over millions of years, but we have found that there is a mathematical advantage to genes which, in full (rare) version causes bad diseases but in … Continue reading
Filed under Cognitive Science, Medicine, Religion, Science
