sonic | The various theories explaining the evolutionary and
biological origin of religion do not show comprehensively how religion
is adaptive and increases individual fitness. The Split hypothesis
proposes the co-evolution of religion and consciousness—that intrinsic religion is a compensating mechanism for higher-order consciousness.
It unifies all ritual and religious behaviors under one umbrella and
explains how all these behaviors are adaptive and increase evolutionary
success. Empirical science is the basis for this inquiry.
Contemporary scientists such as Daniel Wegner, Antonio
Damasio, V.S. Ramachandran, Joseph LeDoux, and John Bargh attest that
consciousness, the rational mind, is not solely, or even mostly, the
seat of volition as many believe. Humans remain tethered to their
biological heritage, which behaviorally is the emotional system as Jaak
Panksepp helps reinforce. Consciousness gives humans distinct advantages
(culture), but there is no absolute truth accessible solely to
consciousness. It has limited inherent intelligence. Consciousness also
evolved to be far noisier and distracting than is useful and carries a
distinct and significant downside. The limbic system’s reward and
pleasure centers are the primary arbiters of behavior and serve
homeostasis, the physiological activities that ensure survival and
reproductive success. Cognitive biases are the unconscious drivers of
“conscious” decision-making and, themselves, are derived from innate
emotional predispositions and conditioning. Religion serves to rein in
overbearing consciousness and promotes instinctual knowledge. Religion
quiets consciousness to let emotions and homeostasis run the show, hence
religion is adaptive.
All religious behaviors including music, art, dance,
mythology, and prayer evolved to elicit emotions and suppress or quiet
consciousness to various degrees. Contemporary brain and behavioral
research show these ritual activities stimulate the brain’s reward
systems, and people benefit from them. This would not have happened had
they not been evolutionarily adaptive. These ritual behaviors are
utilized by psychologists and psychotherapists to help people integrate
emotions, which strongly supports their adaptive functions.
Read the introduction that lays out The Split hypothesis of religion in more detail.
