Every civilization has had a spiritual component and every religion has some type of afterlife. Is it possible that our spirituality comes from our survival instinct and that if more and more people become less spiritual that we are losing our will to survive and therefore nearing extinction?
2006-11-05 03:47:32 · 17 answers · asked by Nobody Girl 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Wow - some really great answers! It sparked so many more questions for me and I hope the same people are around when I ask them. It's going to be hard to pick best answer.
A few of you did say that you thought the will to survive was stronger if you didn't believe in an afterlife, but the religious people I know feel that they are here to serve God and want to survive because of it. I also know I've read that religious people as a whole don't get sick as often and live longer.
2006-11-05 04:13:04 · update #1
Personally i think some type spirituality is hard wired in us - evolved somehow. It is easier to be Spiritual than Atheist for most people. Maybe it gives us a drive to keep going. Several times in human history there were extreme bottlenecks - population reductions where we were on the verge of extinctions - but still we made it through. Perhaps those that survived had that little extra spark - spirituality - that helped them get through.
Was watching an interview with Jane Goodall - she was talking about in her observations of chimps there is one place where they would go by a waterfall and they would just stop and stare and then do a lot of hooting and carrying on at the waterfall - for no reason. they didn't drink, shower etc - just watched it and went apecrackers. she surmised they might be feeling awe - the beginnings of spirituality - that the waterfall might be some form of spiritual place for them. After all - they are only a few genes away from us.
2006-11-05 04:12:44 · answer #1 · answered by Sage Bluestorm 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Spirituality isn't required for survival. Curiosity and imagination were in the past, and religion is an unnecessary byproduct of them.
You made up the part about people without spirituality losing the will to survive. In fact those who don't believe in an afterlife logically place a higher value on this life, since they see it as the only one they'll have.
2006-11-05 11:50:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am Rational Spirituality,
I do not view your hypothesis as a valid one, I am pleased to say. We do not have a collective consciousness. People who are aware of, or at least sense, their spirituality are simply more evolved than those who do not. Everyone is responsible for themselves, although it is amongst our responsibilities to help and support others where appropriate. The world at large is not becoming less spiritual, quite the opposite. We have already entered the spiritual age, and that is a critical step in human evolution.
I find your question well formulated, it just leads me to wonder what kind of people and their attitudes have inspired you to it? I hope that you also have some highly motivating and positve spiritual thinkers in your circles. They are worth having.
2006-11-05 12:07:07 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi - Read something by Michael Shermer. Basically, people like to form patterns and come up with predictions about what is going to happen. This is an essential survival skill. But we tend to look for these patterns everywhere even when they don't exist.
That's a bit of a dry explanation but from an evolutionary point of view it makes sense.
:)
2006-11-05 11:50:32 · answer #4 · answered by Alan 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The first sign a species is becoming sentient is when they have evolved to the point where they can abstract enough to invent a god. The first time a species achieves sentient maturity is when the get rid of their gods. Spirituality is an invention and has outlived all usefulness.
2006-11-05 12:04:17 · answer #5 · answered by iknowtruthismine 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's covered quite well in Richard Dawkin's new book "the God delusion." Basically it's a by-product of useful evolutionary traits. Much like the moth that flies into a candle.
2006-11-05 12:41:45 · answer #6 · answered by ChooseRealityPLEASE 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be the other way around. The denial of the reality of death might subvert the survival instinct and as people become more religious they inhibit sexuality and reproduce less
2006-11-05 11:54:07 · answer #7 · answered by Barabas 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
an evolutionary diest would answer that you have the question reversed. (that the purpose of evolution in spirituality is the denial of proof, therefore requiring the novice to work at spiritual enlightenment)
the Athiest would answer "there is no spirit therefore spirituality is simply self delusion based in fear of death"
the Bible thumper would answer "evolution is a trick by satan-you just have to have ((blind)) faith"
I would answer that the two terms are separate and indepedant of each other and have nothing in common, therefore the question is in and of itself unanswerable.
2006-11-05 11:55:59 · answer #8 · answered by douglas w 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
man seeks to know his surrounding early civilizations did not have rational thought and enough knowledge and men evolve from th darkness into rationality and religion dies away
our will to survive shows no evidence of decrease or any relationship to spirituality or even if there is spirituality unless you actually mean gullibility
2006-11-05 11:53:24 · answer #9 · answered by mohamed jihad dirka dirka 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Evolution exists within the spiritual component. Not the other way around.
Love and blessings Don
2006-11-05 11:49:47 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋