Believing
Page 28
and biases, 186
bigoted brain, 37
brain reading, 155, 156, 157, 158–59, 160–61, 162–63, 164, 169, 172, 178, 194, 209, 213 (see also Theory of mind/brain)
chemical makeup of the brain, 12, 14, 15, 95, 111, 112, 132, 133, 136, 146, 152
chemical-electrical activity in the brain, 123–24
and cognition, 109, 110, 112, 133
computational requirements of, 135, 151, 154, 174, 181, 182
computational capacity, 142, 154, 164–65
and creativity, 204
deluded brain, 37
effects of theatre and movies on, 160
and energy, 22, 123, 124, 145, 164, 183, 202
energy conservation, 101, 152, 182, 201, 202
energy expenditures/costs, 111–13, 154, 164, 181, 182, 186, 191, 201, 208
information-processing operations, 126–27
evidence
minimal regard for evidence, 39
organizing and interpreting, 59
extended mind/brain hypothesis, 107, 160, 180
external and internal stimuli, impact of, 185–86
and fatigue, 111
genes and brain change, 133–35
habit of the mind/brain, 18, 26, 46, 50
immoral brain, 37
and indoctrination by others, 194, 195
information-processing operations, 126–27
networks of information, 213
way brain handles information, 38, 39, 49
introspection and brain reading, 156
and intuitive primacy, 69
manipulation of the brain, 206–207
and memory repetition, 182
models, 80, 169
monism views on, 103
multiple systems operating within, 39
and music, 141, 184, 187
narrative and storytelling, 61
and neuromarketing, 48
nonhuman primates, brains of, 133, 157, 160
observation and brain activity, 126, 159, 160, 161, 163, 181
as an operating system, 108
and pain, 108, 111, 123, 157
parts of
areas responsible for cognition and emotion, 109
physical brain, 110–11, 123–25
parts of, 107, 109, 110, 111, 119, 133, 136, 139, 152, 160, 187
reading others’ brain states (see Theory of mind/brain)
recapitulating activity patterns, 122, 182
religious experience, programmed for, 96
replicating the brain activities of others (see mirroring)
social brain, 135–36
stories, templates and models, use of, 80
and triggering, 182, 183, 187
unperceived brain systems, 49, 105, 117, 118, 119, 122, 123–24, 125, 126, 145, 149, 162, 213
vain brain, 37
wandering brain, 112
weak-willed brain, 37
Branch Davidian sect, 193
British cultural myths, 43–44
burial of dead, 11–12
Burton, Richard, 28, 117–23
Cabot, John, 50
Calvinism, 69
Camus, Albert, 72
Catholicism, 46, 69
causal relationships, 69, 145, 174
causal beliefs, 96
causal inference, 163
cause-and-effect, 145, 146, 149, 174, 175
creating narrow divides, 149
CBS Evening News (TV show), 66
certainty, 37, 64, 117, 122, 208
Chabris, Christopher, 64–65
chemical makeup of the brain, 12, 14, 15, 95, 111, 112, 132, 133, 136, 146, 152
chemical-electrical activity in the brain, 123–24
Chicago Cubs (baseball team), 29
chimpanzees, 138, 139
China, finding remains of 100,000-year-old human, 131
choice, 120
conscious choice, 117, 122
and free will, 121–23, 126
limited to a person’s available models, 126
social choice, 109
strategy choice, 145
Christianity, 50, 96, 167, 193, 194, 199, 205
religious myths-beliefs, 46–47
chronic stress, 208
CIA, mistaken ideas about, 189–91
circularity and attribution, 163
circular reasoning, 37
circumstantial evidence, 62, 66–67, 74
climate change, 74–75, 94, 204, 209
CO2 emissions, 74–75
cognition, 21, 103–104, 142, 156, 169, 170, 192, 209
and the brain, 109, 110, 112, 133
cognitive dissonance, 161
cognitive explosion of Homo sapiens, 140–41
and emotions, 49, 62, 63, 80, 133, 146, 179, 191
in early man, 138–40
and indoctrination by others, 194
and religion, 96
situational cognition, 196
See also knowing; reasoning; thinking process
coincidence, 37, 69, 175
Collins, Francis, 96
Columbus, Christopher, 49–51, 89
common-sense wisdom, 63
communication, 94–95, 111, 137, 171, 206, 207
with a computer, 80–84, 85
with the dead, 20, 31, 53, 54
social communication, 181, 185, 205
See also language; stories and storytelling
computers
communicating with, 80–84, 85
computational requirements of the brain, 135, 151, 154, 174, 181, 182
computational capacity, 142, 154, 164–65
conceptual knowledge, 176–77
confidence, 18, 20, 40, 81, 89
confirming evidence, 70, 80, 191
conflicting beliefs, 27, 74–75, 161
conflicting or incomplete evidence, 66, 112, 208
consciousness, 125, 202
conscious choice, 117, 122
See also awareness
consequences and beliefs, 27–28, 31–32
Constantine (Roman emperor), 197
conversion from one belief to another, 24, 174
conviction, 18, 26, 29, 33, 49, 61, 64, 117, 122
Copernicus, Nicolaus, 90
copycat responses. See mirroring
correctness, 117, 122
correlation, 146
illusory correlation, 70, 80, 93, 151
cortex, 109, 110, 133, 139, 160
counterintuition, 171
creationism, 52, 94, 194
creativity, 145, 204
creative complexity, 142, 154
creative imaginings, 149
critical thinking, 74
Cronkite, Walter, 66
cults, 25–26
culture, 62, 69, 77, 135–36, 137, 138, 142, 173, 185, 187
complex cultures, 50, 135, 141, 142
cultural myths-beliefs, 43–46, 48–55, 110, 197, 207–208
and evolution, 22, 52
and indoctrination, 192, 197
multiculturalism, 194
Damasio, Antonio, 104
Darwin, Charles, 51–52
Darwin Awards (Northcutt), 32
data distortion, 70, 93, 148
data falsification, 93
deception, 85, 136, 161
self-deception, 60, 72, 170
decisions, 61, 63, 69, 74, 117, 125, 139, 141, 147
and awareness, 117, 118, 119–20, 122
and closing divides, 21
daily living requiring, 19, 21, 34, 67, 68
and emotions, 109–10
and God and the Bible, 87–88, 208
and intuition, 69
joint decisions, 136, 158
deductive reasoning, 68, 70
“deeply held belief,” 79, 112, 192. See also intransigent beliefs
deluded brain, 37
Dennett, Daniel, 51, 101
depression, 10
Descartes, René, 101, 103, 104, 140
Diagnostic and Statisti
cal Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), 73
direct evidence, 55, 62–65, 67, 95, 155–56, 163, 170, 192, 213
in empirical studies dealing with religion, 95–96
legal recognition of, 66
science and religion both using, 97
sources and types of, 62, 64, 65, 68, 74, 105, 138, 140, 147, 157
use of to narrow divides, 120, 157
disbelief, 32, 51–52
disconfirmation-belief failure, 201–202, 212
disconfirming evidence, 70, 80, 199
displeasure, 110, 133, 139, 140, 142, 175
disproving as part of the scientific method, 90–93
distrust of other groups, 176
divides, 20–21, 32, 33, 183
altering divide widths, 60, 63, 105 (see also narrow divides; wide divides)
changing of, 211
distance varying with external-information type, 108
divide reduction, 48, 53, 93, 172, 194, 202, 204, 213
seeing what we believe narrows divides, 84
widening and attaining recognition, 47
and attributions, 163
and the brain
belief and divides require a brain, 110–11
brain has inbuilt system to narrow divides, 70, 152
brain systems that contribute to, 203–204
divide reduction, 202, 213
managing divides, 204
no two brains managing divides the same way, 134
and representations stored in the brain, 124–25
and choices, 120
Columbus’s voyages as example of process of acceptance, 49–51
data distortion and reduction of divides, 148
dispersion of, 141–42
disregarding, 20–21
and emotions, 110
episodic and working memory contributing to, 148
and evidence, 31, 204
divides between belief and evidence, 55, 60, 101–102
narrowing divides without considering, 38
evolution of beliefs and divides, 132–41
impact of language on, 72–74
implication of brain reading for, 157
indeterminate divides, 67–68, 70, 96, 131, 149, 152
indirect evidence influencing divides, 66
inference and intuition reducing, 70
as mental sensations, 117
and mirroring, 161
misinform, divides that, 141
and models, 126
neurophysiological studies, 110–11
not predicting strength of a belief, 202
no two brains managing the same way, 134
perceptions of, 89
philosophical views relating to, 101–13
self-deception and divide reduction, 72
and triggering, 187
wide range of, 203
division of labor, 136
DNA, 93, 96, 131
domain related overlaps, 95
dominance, 13, 14–15
Don’t Believe Everything You Think (Kida), 37
dopamine, 95, 119, 133, 136, 146
dreams, 54, 146, 179
drugs, mind-altering, 111, 146
DSM. See Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
dualism, 101–106, 113
“dumbing down” as a result of information overload, 206
early man, 138, 148, 152, 154
cognitive explosion of Homo sapiens, 140–41
computational capacities of Homo sapiens, 165
early imaginings of, 145–46
and emotions, 138–40
and language, 137, 139, 168–69
migration of, 141–42, 147, 168–69
morphology of Homo erectus, 131
and stories/models, 168–69, 173, 178
and triggering, 187
use of tools, 133, 134, 142
See also evolution
earthquake in Japan, 209–10
Eating Animals (Foer), 30
education, need to improve and change, 210, 212. See also learning
electrical-chemical activity in the brain, 123–24
Eliot, George, 171
e-mail. See media and technology
Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 171
emotion, 110, 140
and awareness, 109–10, 112
and beliefs, 109–10, 202
brain, areas responsible for cognition and emotion, 109, 152
and brain reading, 156
and cause-and-effect models, 175
and cognition, 49, 62, 63, 80, 133, 146, 179, 191
in early man, 138–40
connecting actions with, 142
and decisions, 109–10
determining what we believe, 202
and divides, 110
emotional satisfaction, 196
emotional states, 146
experiencing emotion, 63, 109, 110, 140
as indicator of the consequences of action or inaction, 140
memory of, 170
physical origins of, 139
study of, 109–10
emotional brain, 37
Empedocles, 101
energy and the brain, 22, 111–13, 123, 124, 145, 164, 183, 202
energy conservation, 101, 152, 182, 201, 202
energy expenditures/costs, 111–13, 154, 164, 181, 182, 186, 191, 201, 208
information-processing operations, 126–27
environmental information and ability to remember, 108
environmentalism, 194
episodic memory, 134, 147–48
erroneous beliefs, 63
event rehearsal, 126
evidence, 57–75
as basis of the justice system, 57
and beliefs, 31, 89
altering beliefs, 213
believing in advance of having evidence, 67
brain having minimal regard for evidence, 39
defending myths irrespective of evidence, 48–49
distance between a belief and assessment of evidence related to belief (see divides)
doing something has merit even without, 33
finding supporting evidence, 37–38
imagination without evidence, 52
intransigent beliefs discarding, 191
persisting contrary to evidence, 9–10, 18, 70
without supporting evidence, 212
circumstantial evidence, 62, 66–67, 74
confirming evidence, 70, 80, 191
conflicting or incomplete evidence, 66, 112, 208
constraining scientific speculation, 97
direct evidence, 55, 62–65, 67, 95, 155–56, 163, 170, 192, 213
in empirical studies dealing with religion, 95–96
legal recognition of, 66
science and religion both using, 97
sources and types of, 62, 64, 65, 68, 74, 105, 138, 140, 147, 157
use of to narrow divides, 120, 157
disconfirming evidence, 70, 80, 199
and divides, 31, 204
divides between belief and evidence, 55, 60, 101–102
narrowing divides without considering, 38
evidence-interpretation biases, 93
human willingness to hide from, 195
impact of language on, 72–74
indirect evidence, 62, 65–66, 67, 68, 74, 113, 155–56, 163, 213
and misinterpretation, 138
science and religion both using, 97
and triggering, 185
interpreting, 58–59
legal evidence, 66
multiple interpretations of evidence, 64
not searching for, 67
personal experience as evidence, 55, 62–65, 66, 68, 105
as story or model, 169, 171, 172, 175
relevance of, 33
and the scientific method, 90–93
and scientific research, 57
validity of, 116
evolution
of beliefs and divides, 132–41, 142
of humans, 22, 51–52, 109, 129–30, 134, 137, 141, 142, 158, 162–63, 192, 204
rejecting theory of, 52, 94, 194
of language, 137
See also early man
exorcism as pseudoscience, 53, 54
experience, 38, 80, 104, 106–107, 111–12, 134, 146, 160, 175, 195, 203
and automatic responses, 119
in awareness, 103, 105–106, 117, 121, 123–25, 154, 155, 180
and conviction, 64
and episodic memory, 147–48
experiencing belief, 19, 21, 22, 79, 83, 110, 118
leading to intransigent beliefs, 197–99
transient beliefs, 28
experiencing emotion, 63, 109, 110, 140
illusion of attention, 65
and imaginings, 145, 147
interpreting experiences, 63, 68
personal experience as evidence, 55, 62–65, 66, 68, 105
as story or model, 169, 171, 172, 175
religious experience, 96, 99
trial-and-error experience, 62
experimental replication, 92
scientific method aimed at narrowing divides, 97–98
extended mind/brain hypothesis, 107, 160, 180
external attributions, 163
external information, 15, 48, 107, 108, 112, 119, 124, 160
external stimuli, 186, 213
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (MacKay), 24
extraterrestrials, 32–33, 38, 54, 94
Facebook. See media and technology
failure, 37, 38, 64, 65
belief-disconfirmation failure, 201–202, 212
faith, age of, 203
false categories, 143
fatigue and the brain, 111
faulty memories, 37
fear, 47, 63, 105, 107, 109, 110, 174
female hierarchies of vervet monkeys, 13
Fine, Cordelia, 37
First People paintings, 77–79
5-Hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA), 14–15
Florida, and antievolution, 52
fMRI. See functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
Fodor, Jerry, 101
Foer, Jonathan, 30
formulas as beliefs, 83
founders effect, 136
fragmentation of beliefs, 207–209, 210, 212
Fraser, J. R., 209
Fred, Chief, 167–68, 182
free will, 121–23, 126
Freud, Sigmund, 28, 72
frontal cortex, 133
frontal lobes, 111
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), 48, 110, 146, 152, 157, 160, 170, 184, 193
gender rights, 194
generalization
belief generalization, 149
hasty generalizations, 37
as a way to handle too much information, 113
genes and brain change, 133
ghosts, 94, 161–62, 213
giants as pseudoscience, 53
Gilovich, Thomas, 36
global warming, 74–75, 209
God, belief in, 87–88, 95, 209. See also religion