New Science: Comparing the Size of Ancient Human Brains to Existence of Gods


For many decades the size of ancient skulls has been mapped. From the size and shape of these skulls it is believed the parts of brains available to humans in ancient times can be estimated. Abstract thoughts, such as the existence of invisible beings, became a skill when brains developed to allow it. Gods are such abstract patterns of thought. 

The part of the brain needed for abstract thought such as the existence of gods is the pariental lobe. Pariental lobes started appearing about 200,000 years ago. There is evidence of human like beings long before that. The belief is, then, that gods started to appear only 200,000 years ago.

The article about this in Psychology Today lists many of the gods which have been recorded:

Other gods have come and gone, such as Biema, Chwezi, Dakgipa, Enuunap, Fundongthing, Hokshi Tagob, Ijwala, Lata, Mbori, Pab Dummat, Ra, Tirawa, Vervecator, Messor, Insitor, Vodu, Xi-He, and Zeus, to name a few of the thousands of gods that have been studied. Living gods animate places of worship, while dead gods are on display in museums.

Often the number 2,000 is used to represent the number of recorded gods. I've never seen where this number comes from. If, as I've read, every community had its own gods during the Pagan period surely the number is much greater. 

Every Christian and Jew knows there were many gods during the period of these religions. The Bible warns of these gods and admonishes the faithful to ignore them. I'm sure the established Pagans before the growth of Christianity warned and scoffed about God and Jesus. "Why would these foolish people believe in gods that do not exist?"

That is takes human brains of a certain size and configuration to believe there are gods makes it understandable why gods became so popular. They remain popular but it seems whatever they are is changing to something new. 

Maybe sometime in the future it will be found that the computer, digital data and being swamped with information changed our brains to make them repel magical gods.

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