The Biology of Belief: How Our Biology Biases Our Beliefs and Perceptions

adapt amygdala ancestors animals Aristotle asteroids Averroes began behavior belief systems Big Bang biological evolution biology of belief brain cause cell century chapter Christian Church comets complex core create creation myths cultural Darwin Darwinian DNA sequences dopamine dreams Earth emotional environment evolutionary evolved experience fear function genes genetic God module Greek hallucinations hemisphere hippocampus human influence intuition learning limbic limbic system manipulation memory messenger molecules million years ago mind molecular multicellular mutations mythology natural selection neocortex neural neurons nucleotide orbit organisms oxygen perceived perceptions philosophers planets planning assumption prefrontal lobes produce proteins psychogenes psychogenetic psychogenetic evolution quoted rational reality reason religion religious replicate reproduce reptilian result Roman scientific scientists self-organizing self-organizing knowledge self-replicating sensory serotonin social solar spirit stars Story of Civilization survival symbolic thalamus theory things thinking thought understanding universe zealots