Thomson why we believe in gods

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Aukofer, presents an easily accessible and exceptionally convincing case that god s were created by man - not vice versa. With this slim volume, Dr. Thomson establishes himself as a must-listen thinker and leading voice on the primacy of reason and science over superstition and religion.

What did you love best about Why We Believe in God s? Taking a hard look at WHY people sense their faith is "right" and breaking it down into it's component parts is the ONLY way to surely get to the heart of the religion debate.

If you only read one book about religion, this should be it. This book should be in every hotel room right next to the darned Holy Bible. What other book might you compare Why We Believe in God s to and why? Any holy book in the world is longer than this book The book provides an easy to understand and thought provoking insight into the by product theory of religious beliefs.

I enjoyed the information in the book. I made it through because I decided three hours isnt too long. I almost second guessed myself a time or two. Some words seemed to less pronounced and those words tended to be important to the sentence.

I found the information and how it was all worded to be very well done, although the narrators could've shown a bit more energy when narrating it. I loved it. I am always baffled as to why, with all the science available, people still cling to primitive beliefs. I understand more now after listening to this book.

Narration could be just a little bit more animated. Great book and really well researched. The sound wasn't very good, however it made up for it in quality of product.

Anderson Thomson Jr. It's not going to turn you into an atheist or make you go to hell I'm pretty sure anyway. It's just going to explain to you why and how you believe what you do. Keep an open mind. View all 25 comments. Mar 05, Kurt rated it it was amazing.

God is a creation of man's mind--not vice versa. That's the basic thesis of this work by psychiatrist Andy Thomson, with Clare Aukofer. Drawing on the latest research from the neurosciences and longstanding insights from cognitive psychology, it explains in clear, accessible language how and why the human mind is primed for or, as the book says, hijacked by religion and all the beliefs that religion entails.

Sam Harris sums up the merits of the book the best with this line: "If you would like God is a creation of man's mind--not vice versa. Sam Harris sums up the merits of the book the best with this line: "If you would like to learn, in the space of an hour, why we have every reason to believe that God is man-made--this is the book to read.

Full disclosure: even if I hadn't been fortunate enough to edit and publish this book, I'd give it five stars. View 1 comment. Apr 15, Julie rated it did not like it Shelves: first-reads. I won this book through Goodreads First Reads and I admit that I did not research it enough before I signed up to win it. In my defense, there were not many reviews at that time! I really tried to keep an open mind as I read this book, but when statements such as - No one ever craves brussel sprouts - appear as a basis of arguement I also do not get the "runner I won this book through Goodreads First Reads and I admit that I did not research it enough before I signed up to win it.

I also do not get the "runners high" that he compared religion to. I am someone who feels terrible and tired after I run. I also do not enjoy the ritualistic nature of the Catholic Church that I grew up in So, I guess I am just weird I crave vegetables, I don't get a runners high, and I don't like rituals I felt that the author did not describe religion as I view it at all.

I might be strange, but I don't just feel better by praying I actually get annoyed by that! I work every day to include God in my life, but it isn't easy and it isn't out of obligation or because it just simply relieves my anxiety although I wish relieving my anxiety was that easy!!!

I believe because I have seen first hand the miracles that happen through Jesus Christ. I am someone who truly believes that when you open your heart to Jesus he is there for you and though you might not always like the response to your prayers or they might not always be answered right away, they are answered in his time and they are answered perfectly.

The references to no atheists in foxholes or no christians in foxholes made me laugh because maybe if it weren't for some prayers of those soldiers, that foxhole wouldn't have been there. And, also it made me think that faith in God shouldn't make a person ignorant Again, a reference from this text about religion if you haven't red the book yet!

It is kind of like the old joke that a man was drowning was praying to God for help, but he kept refusing the boats that could have saved him Once he dies he says, "God, where were you? I choose not to. My rating of one star is not based on the fact that I did not agree with the authors view on religion. It is due to the way he wrote with "Never" and "Always" in terms of things that are not that black and white.

It was due to the fact that his writing was full of assumptions that I felt were disrespectful and obnoxious. I know a lot of nonbelievers and I can get along with them.

Heck, one was the best man in my wedding. I can listen to or read their arguments and not give them one star as long as they do not resort to ridiculous "never" and "always" talk Readers beware of that! View all 6 comments. Apr 18, Kelley rated it it was amazing Shelves: nonfiction , religion , science , first-reads. This fascinating book studies the exact reasons why religion is alive and well in our society today by referring to both historical and chemical facts.

Religion developed as a way for humans to comfort and excite themselves by unconsciously increasing the amount of chemicals their brains produced, like dopamine.

For example, dancing was a part of the earliest religions and still survives today because it still provides the same effect. Thomson calls this immediate gratification the "fast-food" e This fascinating book studies the exact reasons why religion is alive and well in our society today by referring to both historical and chemical facts. Thomson calls this immediate gratification the "fast-food" effect, which is a very accurate and intelligent descriptor.

This is a short, but worthwhile read. I hope to see more, in-depth books from this author in the future. May 14, Hamid rated it really liked it Shelves: religion. Mirror neurons, which exist in all of our brains, probably in many different areas, were discovered accidentally by researchers working with Macaque monkeys at the University of Parma in the s and s. Subsequent research has shown them to be active in humans as well.

Their discovery is one of the most important recent findings in neuroscience. These neurons fire both when an animal performs an action and when the animal observes the same action done by another animal. When you raise your right hand, nerve cells activate on the left side of your brain, in the area that controls right-arm movement.

If you watch me do this, the same neurons will light up, even though your right arm remains still. If I stick a knife in my right hand, the pain perceiving areas of my left brain activate. If you see me do it, your brain reacts the same way. But you do not need pain to prove this to yourself. Or try not to yawn when someone else does. Fundraisers understand this at some level.

They can recite all the statistics about child hunger in the world without much effect on the typical person, but if they show that person a picture of one starving child, he or she will be much more likely to donate. The earthquake in Haiti released a massive outpouring from around the world due to the horrific images and stories flashed across the media.

We all could feel the pain of loss and hopelessness, and our heartstrings would not allow us to sit by and do nothing. Mirror neurons resoundingly refute this. Our brains are ethical by design. Religions utilize this, and, consciously or not, they utilize it in a way that can traumatize.

May 25, Teresa rated it it was amazing. Hopefully people will continue to grow away from indoctrination. This "book" is terrible. It's really a short pamphlet surveying the human instincts which predispose humans to believe in gods. The forward is a nice sloppy blowjob from Richard Dawkins who I'm not entirely convinced actually read it. The first chapter is, I kid you not, a table of contents. The second chapter talks about human evolution and concludes that nobody likes Brussels sprouts.

Except I like them, so I had a hard time understanding the point. The rest is basically a list of definitions of This "book" is terrible.

The rest is basically a list of definitions of psychological terms like "attachment", "decoupled cognition", "theory of mind", "transference", "dualism", "intentionality", etc.

Some definitions are literally taken from Dictionary. So lazy. There, now you've as good as read this insanely boring and remedial book. Oh, and the author thinks stigmata can be psychosomatic.

My major problem with this book is it's utter lack of evidence. Opinions plus unrelated FMRI studies do not constitute evidence. I don't think the author would know recognize the scientific method if it was stapled to his forehead. I wanted to hear a skeptical examination of human nature. It's a good idea for a book. I hope somebody writes it someday. View all 3 comments. Sep 09, Bridget rated it it was amazing. I read this book in about two hours and it was two hours of pleasure!

If you'd like a point-by-point, succinct explanation of why we believe in gods, this is the book for you! Dec 14, Richard Lawrence rated it it was amazing Shelves: evolution , science , social-commentary , atheism , evolutionary-psychology. This little book is a great introduction to the application of evolutionary psychology to religious belief in humans. The notes at the end of the book provide ample resources for the reader to dig deeper into this fascinating field of study.

I am still full of questions. What existed before life forms? How did it come about from a singularity? Listen to the UVA Today Radio Show report on this story by Anne Bromley: May 27, — A person reading this article right now can be simultaneously thinking about what he or she would tell a friend later this evening about the book being described; humans are capable of thinking about and imagining, back and forth in time, people and places that are not physically visible at the moment.

It is only a few turns in that thought process that allow humans to imagine and believe in a god or gods, according to Dr. Anderson "Andy" Thomson Jr. In his new book, "Why We Believe in God s : A Concise Guide to the Science of Faith," Thomson offers a succinct, yet comprehensive theory of how and why humans generate religion and create a god or gods — and, pointedly, not vice versa.

With local writer Clare Aukofer, Thomson adds his voice to the public debate about evolution and God's existence, drawing evidence from psychology, the cognitive neurosciences and related fields and presenting it in an easily readable and sensitive tone. Instead of making arguments about the irrationality of religious belief, as some other scientists have done, Thomson presents religious belief as a natural phenomenon that can be explained by the complicated processes in our brains.

We don't have reading and writing modules in our brain," Thomson said. We use vision, we use fine motor skills in our hands and we use innate language and innate grammar. We have made it, we have sculpted it out of basic mechanisms that were originally evolved for other purposes.

My response to his brush with death was to study suicide terrorism," Thomson writes in the book's preface.