Reframe: (Sciencing Buddism) All religions seek to solve a single problem of the

Reframe: (Sciencing Buddism)

All religions seek to solve a single problem of the stresses of alienation as populations increase, uncertainty increases, and agency decreases, causing increases in neuroticism (stress from unpredictability). We call this the problem of achieving mindfulness. (Negative suppression of neuroticism or positiva production of cognitive and emotional agency).

Buddhism and Stoicism both attempt to solve this problem through cognitive and behavioral ritualization requiring greater self-regulation and discipline, while Abrahamic religions, through social, verbal, and physical ritualization, requiring less self-regulation and self-discipline.

This is why there is a painfully obvious IQ distribution between the demographics of the populations and the religions that evolved to suit the needs of producing mindfulness suitable for those races(species) and resulting civilizations.

So buddhist theory is correct, even if stated as an odd admixture of spiritualism and pseudoscience. While stoicism is simply the discipline (now science) of cognitive behavioral therapy.

In this most abstract sense, the Stoic (assertive) and Buddhist ( passive) models ofmindfulness are the best combination of disciplines. However, we are still stuck with the problem of intergenerational transfer of group evolutionary strategy which appears to require social group ritual, oath, feast, and celebration.

This is why we see monopoly religion in the middle east and in India and we see the separation of science in Europe vs Wisdom in Asia, philosophy in both, and natural religion in both.

I’m not fond of Buddhism because it was the same attempt as stoicism to produce a non-nonsense religion, but as we see with the supernatrualization of Buddhism, and the “spiritual” secular humanist defeat of stoicism, the people who require suppression of neuroticism are those most likely drawn to occult, emotional, intuitionistc religions. So we are likely to be stuck with bifurcated religion in advanced civilizations just as we are stuck with male systematizing and female empathizing. 🙁

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