Supernatural as Natural : A Biocultural Approach to Religion (Hardcover)

Introduction Religion’s Family Resemblances Religion, Spirituality, and Religiosity Overview of Book Chapter 1: Anthropology and the Study of Religion Introduction to the Anthropological Study of Religion Western Perspectives on ReligionThe Development of Anthropological Approaches to Religion The Four-Field Approach of Anthropology Conclusion: The Biocultural Approach to the Study of Religiosity Chapter 2: Our World and How We Know It Introduction Science, Religion, and the Universe Mysticism as Science Conclusions: Comparing Science and Religion Chapter 3: Consciousness and Spiritual Experiences Opening vignette: Visionary Spiritual Experiences and the Origins of Major Religious Traditions IntroductionWhat is Consciousness? The Biological Bases of Spiritual Consciousness: The Integrative Mode of Consciousness Origins of Religious Experiences: Natural Induction of the Integrative Mode of Consciousness Adaptive Aspects of the Integrative Mode of Consciousness Conclusion: Religious Experience as Personal Experience of Biology Appendix: Assessing Mystical Experiences/Hood’s Mysticism Scale Chapter 4: Animal Rituals and the Roots of Religiosity Introduction: Ritual in the Animal World What are Rituals? The Triune Brain and Ritual Behavior Animal Rituals The Evolution of Ritual Behaviors Conclusions: The Animal Roots of Human Ritual Activity Chapter 5: The Origins of Shamanism and the Flowering of Religiosity Introduction: Evidence for the Emergence of New Forms of Ritual What are Shamans? The Evolutionary Origins of Spiritual Experiences Psilocybin-Containing Mushrooms as Sources of Spiritual Experiences The Middle/Upper Paleolithic Transition and Human Cultural Evolution Human Cognitive Evolution: The Emergence of Specialized Intelligences“Complex Hunter-Gatherer Type Religions”: The Rise of Ancestor Cults and PriestsConclusions Chapter 6: Origin.../part contents