How religions develop

My own theory is that it had to do with the recognition of two worlds, mental and physical. I recall reading St. Augustine's Confessions, and I was surprised at what a big to-do he made about memory, at his power of replaying scenes of the past in his mind. This preoccupation led him to believe in an incorporeal God (before he found that impossible to believe--if God was real, he was corporeal). So the connection, you see, is between the incorporeal and the mental.
Since we have mentality, incorporeality is possible, so the thinking goes. In other words, the mental world is the spirit-world. Thus the birth of religion.Would somebody tear this to shreds, please?Thank you.[This message has been edited by robinrohan, 11-22-2002]

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Originally posted by robinrohan:
My own theory is that it had to do with the recognition of two worlds, mental and physical. I recall reading St. Augustine's Confessions, and I was surprised at what a big to-do he made about memory, at his power of replaying scenes of the past in his mind. This preoccupation led him to believe in an incorporeal God (before he found that impossible to believe--if God was real, he was corporeal). So the connection, you see, is between the incorporeal and the mental.
Since we have mentality, incorporeality is possible, so the thinking goes. In other words, the mental world is the spirit-world. Thus the birth of religion.

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Would somebody tear this to shreds, please?

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Thank you.

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dunno bout shredding anything, but i think the difference between mentality and spirit lies in the physical boundaries of the brain... the spirit world doesn't need the material, tho it may make use of it... the mental world only exists in that world... iow, once the brain "dies" the spirit world can be accessed... they do have things in common tho, as the mental world may *appear* unbounded... our thoughts, iow, can take us anywhere... i think in the spirit world the difference would be our thoughts not only *can* take us anywhere, they will... imagine traveling at the speed of thought in actuality... "beam me to alpha centauri, scotty"

Yes, but the catch is there is no evidence of spirit, whereas there is evidence--though disputable--of mentality.

Here's my view. lol though I am far from wise. I'm not sure how to back this one up other than people i know things i've seen. I believe we are constantly accrediting alot of the spiritual to mental. When these mental things are only a reaction to something that is actually spiritual. I draw this conclusion from how i have seen people treated for supposed "mental disorders" or depression. When to me i believe it a spiritual problem in alot (note not all) of cases. Physical treatment is not going to work on a spiritual ailment and alot of people end up in and out of mental hospital all of their adult lives, being given drugs for a spiritual ailment. I have seen this to be the case quite often and the only way they end up free of this is Jesus Christ. The only physician qualified for spiritual surgery. sorry off topic a bit.So maybe there is evidence of the spiritual, that is being misinterperted as a "mental function", that is in fact a "mental reaction". A reaction to the spiritual.
Note this is just a theory inspired by your question. Thoughts drawn through my life experiences.------------------
saved by grace