Hormones vs The Five Senses—And the Winner Is?

Faith is believing the hormonal response is more valid than audio-visual, or tactile senses

Clinging to faith is to test what we actually see, against sentiments we can only feel (or think we feel) It is to dismiss our five senses to put trust in a chemically induced emotional response. Then, step by step we carefully absorb what another has felt through his own chemical release—by the art of storytelling.

“And the men of words carefully embellish the story to elicit excretions

The problem with trusting the hormonal response? It is more powerful than anybody’s intention, resistance, or intuition. As proof we look to the hormone who has populated the earth to the tune of 7.8 Billion, against marathons of religious warning, driving countless souls to breed even when they knew the risk of hellfire, disease, or poverty.

In the land of the blind, Enucleation is the corrective surgery”—Marshall McLuhan

Faith admonishes humanity to abandon the common senses for a less reliable one—feelings dispensed by acute events, driving each individual endocrine system and mental sensitivity (a night at the movies is the simplest observation) tugging your Jesus strings can be easily accomplished, even with known fiction.

Corrective lenses or hearing aids is a fairly easy fix for faulty sight and sound, but hormones simply require testimony and the right cadence with the right timing. Belief is supposed to heal the soul. But which of your other senses can be enhanced with repetitive persuasion? What truth anywhere requires a specific timing or carefully crafted event to become true? Catastrophe can also dispense the hormone. Then, as long as the men of words are there to tell us what it all means by god [sic] we can trust the gospel message as authentic—because dopamine always feels right, right?

Faith is believing the hormonal response is more valid than our primary audio-visual and tactile senses.

The fact is this; the expansion of the gospel required swordplay to achieve dominance, not its ideas. A great way to open a gland is to receive violence followed by salvation. That relief alone, whether from physical or emotional trauma, step by step bolsters faith by secretions.

Have you ever seen a touching scene in a movie, knowing full well it is fiction and felt that same feeling from a good sermon? What if the credits falsely labeled the movie “based on a true story?” Monotheism in a nutshell.

Hormones are a predictably unreliable benchmark for faith…in anything, and much too powerful to wield without understanding the emotion and conviction of faith are simply drip-fed in micrograms—or is it really the Holy Spirit?

Understanding even the basics of the endocrine system may be enough to keep you on the level—unless they got to you too early… The beautiful part about not feeling the emotion they try to elicit (through the storytelling) is now you’re under condemnation over failing to secrete when they say the magic words.

Author: jimoeba

Alternatives to big box religions and dogmas

44 thoughts on “Hormones vs The Five Senses—And the Winner Is?”

        1. That guy in the pic has a lot of nerve. It’s amazing, but in this fine tuned universe we’re barely functioning in very narrow parameters. What could possibly go wrong?

          Liked by 3 people

    1. And John, that entire structure (in the image) is GREATLY impacted by gravity, one of the Cosmos’ most prevalent forces in existence and that we know about and understand. Gravity affects ALL entities and systems in the entire Cosmos!

      Therefore, in practical theory there are living beings on other planets, moons, etc, that under less gravitational force could be much larger in size, mass, and complexity—brains 3x, 5x or more the size of Sperm Whales and a nervous system so widespread it could perhaps cover a large parking lot? 😮

      I wonder what sort of “faith” they would have or evolved with? 😉

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            1. FEED ME! PRAISE ME! WORSHIP ME 24/7, 365 for 100-YEARS! And DON’T QUESTION ANYTHING! I want intellectual suicide SAYETH THY LORD!

              Yep, I know it, done it, got the t-shirt from Divinity Grad School. 😈🙃

              Liked by 2 people

  1. I cannot say that my religious past had anything to do with emotion or any hormonal response. I realize that for many, that may be the case. But I am skeptical of it being universally accurate.

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    1. Tradition is possibly another realm of religion. Born, raised and die catholic whether you say so or not. Somehow I can’t picture you in an AOG suit with your hands in the air speaking tongues.

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        1. You see, I am a natural believer, trusting and giving most people the benefit of the doubt. It is fun to watch those that have more reasoning skill than myself deconstruct some of these posts and comments. Add in some east coast brash and directness and the result is a Vel.

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  2. neither hormones nor the sense can be trusted.

    the Buddha recognized 5 skandhas or aggregates (the factors that constitute and explain a sentient being’s person and personality)
    They are: 1. form (physical body)
    2. sensation (senses- experience the world through these)
    3. perception (recognizing objects, being aware of sensory information)
    4. mental formation (thoughts, beliefs, reactions)
    5. consciousness (being aware we exist)

    All individuals are subject to constant change, as the elements of consciousness are never the same, and man may be compared to a river, which retains an identity, though the drops of water that make it up are different from one moment to the next.
    Due to their impermanence, suffering arises when one identifies with or clings to the aggregates. This suffering is extinguished by relinquishing attachments to aggregates. The buddhist tradition asserts that the nature of all aggregates is intrinsically empty of independent existence.

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      1. there is a saying in buddhism “if you see the Buddha on the road, kill him” which means to know a buddha, you have to be a buddha. and once you have become a buddha, you have nothing more to learn from him, so get rid of the buddha. the teachings (any teachings) are like a boat meant to take you to the other side of the water. once there, you don’t carry the boat with you. that would be silly.

        the buddha himself emphasized that nobody just accepts his teachings, but they experiment on their own the validity of his words. and he also insisted that people don’t worship him like a god, which is exactly what people did.

        ‘Buddha’ literally means the one who has achieved Bodhi (the purest wisdom, the purest mind) his way is about finding the origin of mind and thoughts and so to ending human suffering. there are no ‘beliefs’, he developed what is called ‘the eightfold path’ which consists of eight practices:
        right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi (‘meditative absorption or union) these are meant to lead to liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
        i’m not a follower of buddhism, but i fully respect this path full of wisdom, and i learned immensely from it. buddhism is a very practical path, almost scientific. all about compassion for all living things. who can argue with that?

        take a listen to a few minutes of this. it is sung in a lovely, mesmerizing way.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I like the sound of what your saying. Unlike Christianity that ends at faith and never gives you a right of passage til your dead, and even then it’s conditional. In my own mind I concluded a true religion would prepare you with the knowledge and turn you loose. Abrahamic Faith always has a finger on you til the end, and even then it’s a crapshoot.

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          1. yes, all abrahamic religions are paternalistic and offensive. i don’t think buddhism has the concept of faith. it’s more of a map of right conduct, and it’s all just common sense: if you behave decent, you’ll have peace of mind. and then, you can modify your behavior just enough to became a happier person, or you can go into it as deep as to seek Nirvana (liberation)

            these days buddhism is extremely complex with many diff branches, from Tibetan buddhism that is very ritualistic and has thousands of deities, to plain zen who has nothing at all.

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            1. Just promoting self awareness that we have the ability ourselves to map out a worthwhile existence is a good start. I’ll watch the video this evening Sensei.

              Liked by 1 person

  3. This post reminds me of just how influential ALL stimuli onto and within the human brain and body, i.e. my blog-post Mind and Matter. 😉 Most religious followers do not understand adequately or are unaware of just how impactful Placebo-effects are on a person, more so when they are surrounded by daily/weekly theatrical REINFORCEMENT of that Placebo. That impact is or nearly is identical to Mob-Herd Mentality and Behavior. Or often referred to as Peer-pressure/assimilation. Every single person that has ever lived on this planet and is living now has gone thru this process themselves. A prime easy example are all sporting events: what happens to the Home team when their fans enthusiastically get behind them, cheer them, and teammates fire-up other teammates… to an incredible comeback win or salvation of a doomed, or lack-luster season. The exact same things happen in various degrees on different occasions in ALL religious churches, mosques, or synagogues. Period. 🙂

    Hence the reason our planet and all 7.6+ billion human beings perceive and believe in an endless amount of different paradigms and perceptual interpretations… whether religious or not! LOL 🤣

    Liked by 3 people

  4. It’s pretty compelling and universal. If you can illicit a response the hormone can change the outcome of a battle. On the flip side, norepinephrine is known to release when beliefs are challenged. Whenever you challenge the validity of hope, it’s fight or flight. Pastors have even been known to also lie for it.

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  5. Ok, folks, takin a break from my Lenten discipline.

    Dear Taboo, I know you did not attend a progressive seminary. I swear the professors live to cause consternation, and to throw a wretch into the student’s preconceived notions. 🙂 It is said that part of what led the well known Dr. Ehrman to become a non-theist was his time at Princeton.

    On the other hand, if a person works through these questions and struggles, it may also lead to deeper faith and impact someone to not easily feel threatened or offended by challenges and difference of perspective.

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    1. What actually is the meaning of deeper faith? An increase of commitment to self doubt after another exhaustive mental tug o war? Less trust in self? What is deeper faith? Norepinephrin, serotonin, or dopamine, or a combination? Or is it merely staving yourself by religious depression by way of the hard question to manufacture another attempt at belief?

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      1. Well, everyone is different. For me, it was very helpful to question my faith as a young person and to feel free to explore other philosophies and ideas. I think it is good to be challenged and to be open. I don’t see myself as holding on to Christian faith in a desperate or depressive kind of way. It just seems relaxed and natural, life giving. I’m sure hormones are a part of this too. We’re human. God made us to respond in certain ways. But, I think a response to God is complex, not like either or. I personally am able to see alot of truth and wisdom in what many non theists share that is very helpful. But, not completely of course, or I wouldn’t be a Christian believer.

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        1. God made us to respond in certain ways.

          That comment is the dividing line between the believer and the non-believer. And when you add it into the defense of your faith, you have already lost the debate.

          Liked by 2 people

          1. Nan, I’m not so much looking to debate as to share and explore different perspectives. What do you think about this whole notion of “the God Gene,” or the whole idea that some people’s brains seem more wired toward transcendental experience? On another note, I’m feeling very bummed out right now. I was supposed to start training tomorrow in the area of addiction support and recovery work. Well, everything has been nixed pretty much for the forceible future due to this damnable virus. Disappointed.

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            1. I think the notion is nothing but an attempt to confirm the belief in a supernatural being by people who already lean towards the idea, no matter what their field of study.

              As for the word “debate,” whenever a believer makes comments that support their perspective on God, they are attempting to “advance their proposition of proposal” (the definition of debate).

              Sorry your studies/activities got canceled. For some, that’s the least of their concerns.

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