Do we believe in higher powers and the afterlife?

Since ancient times, people have sought to believe in supernatural beings and higher powers. The stories of gods, angels, demons, spirits and souls wandering in the afterlife can be found in all world cultures. Religion has ancient roots, and up to now, proofs of beliefs in the afterlife, dated from a period of 50,000 to 100,000 years ago, have reached.

Approximate data on the number of believers

To date, it is difficult to obtain accurate data on the number of believers. Not all people strictly observe church rituals and go to services. Many prefer not to expose their faith for show. But if you adhere to the data of opinion polls, then for 84 percent of people religion is important in life.

Modern theories conflict with religious beliefs

Today we live in a time of unprecedented science and direct access to some scientific works. Many of them find contradictions in religious postulates. But why does not the church lose its positions? Belief in higher powers and the afterlife has taken root in people's minds so strongly that it has interested progressive philosophers, psychologists, anthropologists and even neurologists. The scientific community undertakes to make assumptions about the human inclination to believe in higher powers.

Death, Religion and Power

Religion was a powerful social component for our ancestors. It was she who played a decisive role in the formation of modern communities. Even today, religion and power are still interconnected. A recent study claims that the reminder of God increases the obedience of the people. Even those cultures that for some time were based on atheistic canons (communist and dictatorial regimes), replaced the worship of God with a cult of personality. It is noted that the less stable the situation in the country from the point of view of economics and politics, the more likely people are to seek consolation in the faith.

What do religious communities give people?

Religious groups give people in need something that the state is unable to provide. Marginal layers of the population go to the temples, receive comfort and help from the parishioners, thereby gaining a real hope for enlightenment. Thus, social factors (in particular mutual assistance) only develop and strengthen faith. People want to feel the community all the time. The idea of faith in God, the observance of canons and the conduct of traditional rites give them this opportunity more than ever.

The Human Face of the Gods

In every culture, the gods take the form of a person, even if they have other hypostases. People are sensitive to the phenomena of nature, believing that with their help the Almighty demonstrates his attitude. Thus, Neptune was a sea lord in ancient Roman mythology. Every time the Romans saw a storm, they related this phenomenon to the wrath of Neptune. Each mythological character was attributed to human qualities and unlimited possibilities. Many psychologists tend to believe that faith is caused by people's desire to live in a society. As we see, even the gods appear before us with a human face. Experts do not doubt that if our lesser brothers could speak and draw, they would depict gods in the form of animals. And this means that religious faith may well be based on samples of human culture and thought.

From the point of view of neurobiology

Neuroscientists tried to compare the structure of the brain of believers and atheists during prayer and, accordingly, meditation. We use different parts of the brain throughout our lives. This helps us learn something new or do the usual things. In one process, several departments may be involved, but none of them is responsible for something of their own. There is no department of the brain that makes people believe, but there is an amazing ability of consciousness to create reality.

Belief in the afterlife eliminates the fear of death

Until now, neurology, anthropology and philosophy can not definitively answer the question of the existence of God. All these disciplines provide an understanding of human responses to different needs. People want to feel their connection with each other and hope that after their death their soul will find peace or will continue to travel. Perhaps religion is a channel that connects all these meaningful connections.