Prof Shazia Cheema
BELIEVING unknown is still a mystery even though the human efforts to find answers for the course of nature are innate and always being satisfied by the presence of unknown force. It is much later when mankind started finding empirical evidence for their existence thus it is hard to claim that: how much has been found and what amount of human mystery has yet to be found, that’s why believing unknown has no boundaries, human being act irrationally and perform unbelievable to satisfy their belief. Walking barefoot on burning coal, body piercing, self-inflicted pain, and various forms of symbolic sacrifices are all human effort to make circumstances favourable by pleasing supreme power.
The human brain is a super machine, cannot be fooled easily, however, there must be something, which is so crucial to human survival that it believing, become part of human life. I wonder what was the first brain look alike, who tried to relate events of life and death with something or someone beyond human power, how important that could have been to satisfy the creed of knowing unknown and controlling unexpected? The process of belief is also the base of the civilization of humanity; I think fear of unknown yet ultimate power regulates human actions and formulated criteria which later paves the way for a modern society. That could be a very bold though that fear is actually the basic force behind a civilized society.
Early Cognitive theorist suggested that religion may best be understood as embodied experience, meaning; it is related to human mind and body and their physical conduct in respect to their surroundings. Hypothetically, when primitive men find themselves out-powered by natural forces they felt a need to construct something which has ultimate power yet they can also design ways to get some degree of control. According to Durkheim, religion provides a way of conceptualization and cultivating attachment to the permanent, which is a dominating quality of a society. The basic nature of religious belief is empowerment, controlling and superseding environment psychologically and physically.
Human beings acquire their religious beliefs intuitively and hold them firmly till the time these beliefs start reflecting from their day to day conduct. At that point belief becomes attitude and reasoning toward their authenticity or rationality reach below zero, further more it even seems unlawful to get a slight hunch regarding belief being valid in result all related actions seem appropriate and extremely necessary. Eventually religious belief becomes an attitude in which one emotionally feels religious concepts be relevant. If we take this stance forward that religion is an “attitude”, I must say attitudes are learned behaviors.
So believing in something is a learned behavior, we learn behaviors starting from birth through scaffolding. Scaffolding involves both learning trough instructions and acquiring by observation. Beliefs reserved deep in our cognitive system where it stays from generations to generations in the same manner and intensity, to the point they eventually formulate a collective state of consciousness; despite having the profound empathetic value it also adhere the power to become the basis of individual conscious’s exploitation. Ironically, empathy is used more to create chaos rather than harmony by exploiting collective wisdom.
The idea of one set of belief is right in comparison to other is destructive, it flouts the basic principle of human survival. If every believer apart from what set of belief he/she acquired start exhibiting dislike against others, the natural harmony necessary for a social living will be destroyed moreover no one is going to gain from that situation. Every belief system has stored deep into the cognition and guarded by cognitive dissonance there for attempt to challenge them is futile on the other hand to maintain peace in the society they must be addressed sensitively and must be treated respectfully.
—The writer is associated with the University of Lahore.
