| Whenever we read the great tales of ghosts | | | | exist because of the natural and perpetual |
| and goblins, of gods and their helpers, of | | | | struggle that goes on in the natural world. |
| priests, lore, and magic, we are always | | | | Without desire or fear or sexual impulses, an |
| struck with the idea that these spirits have | | | | organism would not reproduce, and therefore, |
| emotions, that they are suffering from human | | | | no other organisms with that mentality would |
| frailties, and that they have a will power. | | | | be created, except by chance of reversion, |
| The origin of the idea of the soul, of the | | | | which is very unlikely. My question is this: |
| spirits and the gods, all comes from the most | | | | why is it that spirits and souls are endowed |
| human desire: immortality, freedom from fear | | | | with these psychological aspects?In all of |
| of death. As it so happens to be natural, | | | | the stories I have read of the gods, I have |
| humans desire to avoid pain, suffering, | | | | uncovered all of these impulses. I have |
| misery, and death. The idea that death or | | | | encountered the sexual urge of the gods of |
| the end of life is not really the end of | | | | Greece and Rome. I have discovered the |
| life, and that a misery-less future awaits | | | | ability to desire and feel accomplishment or |
| those who die, this idea is a relatively | | | | disappointment in the gods and spirits of |
| attractive one. With an afterlife, there is | | | | Animist cultures. It seems that there is no |
| no death, so it is easy to see why one might | | | | god, excepting the god of Deism, that has no |
| enjoy such a theory, regardless of the lack | | | | interest in being involved with the people |
| of any evidence whatsoever. Since this idea | | | | who believe in him. The Christians believe |
| in an afterlife flourishes considerably, | | | | their god will save them. The Hindus believe |
| there is are other popular ideas about | | | | their god will reincarnate them. The Jews |
| spirits, souls, and other items that exist in | | | | believe that their god has smashed societies |
| this afterlife theory.Our memories, our | | | | and cultures for the tiniest of reasons. |
| experiences, our thoughts, ideas, notions, | | | | Every religion remains identical in this |
| character, attitude, and feelings are all | | | | fact.Okay, so, we have spirits, souls, and |
| stored within the mind. Science, or at least | | | | gods, many of them endowed with human |
| all honest investigative studies, would tell | | | | mentality. I am quite curious, though. Why |
| us that our mind is located within the | | | | is it that no playwright in ancient Greece |
| physical brain of the body. So far, no other | | | | ever described one of the gods as rubbing his |
| theory has come up with any verifiable | | | | belly and hungry? Why have I seen no spirits |
| evidence to the contrary. Another theory, | | | | that get hungry? Some cultures feed their |
| with much less evidence, does exist. It is | | | | spirits, but that's even more absurd. They |
| the idea that the mind is a part of the soul | | | | leave only enough food for a few days or a |
| -- that when the body dies, the mind leaves | | | | weeks. And why leave any food at all? Will |
| the body with the soul. Some individuals | | | | the spirits decompose and go to the state of |
| have offered evidence on behalf of such a | | | | the after-afterlife? The sexual urge that |
| trite idea. They have argued that since it | | | | seems so prevalent in so many religions, from |
| is a part of the spiritual realm, one which | | | | the god of Christianity violating a virgin |
| tools and devices and technology cannot reach | | | | meant to be married to the Greek gods that |
| nor see, that it is out of their jurisdiction | | | | committed such fornication on a regular basis |
| of judgment. An interesting idea, I admit. | | | | -- just why does the sexual urge prevail? Of |
| One might as well claim that they have | | | | what use is it? Are the gods going to mate |
| invented, discovered, or uncovered something | | | | and then produce spiritual offspring?What |
| that is wonderful and beautiful, but that is | | | | seems a thousand times more odd is that the |
| completely unsensible by human senses. (i.e. | | | | gods are lacking those parts that make sexual |
| we might have a tourist trap with the holy | | | | activity useful, for procreation or |
| grail, only to find a plaque "If you have | | | | recreation. The penis and the vagina, these |
| sinned, you cannot see or feel it, but you | | | | two parts that are responsible for producing |
| must believe it is there.")One might be so | | | | the pleasure of sex, are non-existent on |
| educated and thoughtful enough to feel that | | | | ghosts. If a human loses such a part, it is |
| the theory of a soul is so discredited, that | | | | impossible to engage in sexual activity. |
| it needs no further examination; it becomes a | | | | And, it seems that these ghosts have lost all |
| moot point. However, there are some things | | | | their bodies. Yet, the urge to have sex is |
| in this field that might want to be | | | | prevalent, while their sex organs are not |
| considered, just in a hypothetical point of | | | | prevalent. One may argue with me, "But the |
| view at most. So it indeed happens that | | | | gods and ghosts have physical bodies that |
| every folk story and every old religion | | | | they can use!" If this is true, then it |
| regards spirits as vibrant and powerful | | | | shouldn't be even slightly difficult to get |
| beings. In Greek mythology, the gods often | | | | evidence of god. Whenever pressed for |
| came down from their clouds, to mate with | | | | evidence, the religionist usually claims, |
| earthlings, or kill them, or have dealings | | | | "But they are noncorporal entities -- they |
| with them. In the stories of these gods, | | | | are not physical, they are spiritual." No |
| they all seem to have the exact same | | | | thoughtful spiritualist will claim their god |
| characteristics of any human being. They | | | | is actually physical, because in doing so, |
| have desires, wants, fears, hopes, beliefs. | | | | they have opened the doors to dispelling |
| They react to their environment. When they | | | | their beliefs in a heartbeat.The need to eat |
| are informed that their plans have failed, | | | | is as absurd as the desire to have sex for |
| they react with disappointment, and maybe | | | | the gods. Other things, such as the social |
| rage or violence. When they are informed | | | | instinct and any desire at all, seem to also |
| that their plans have succeeded, they react | | | | be quite absurd. Why animals and other |
| with happiness, and maybe feasting or | | | | conscious organisms are equipped with desires |
| gloating. The gods are essentially the most | | | | and the social instinct is easy to |
| human of any theoretical being, and this is | | | | understand. With regard to the social |
| no surprise when we think of their creator.I | | | | instinct, it has helped organisms to survive |
| cannot, for the life of me, suppose any idea | | | | against the natural elements, or predators, |
| or theory as to why any of the gods are | | | | or aided in obtaining their prey. When |
| endowed with desires or wants anyway. When I | | | | organisms had a social instinct, they were |
| think of the origin of such psychological | | | | more effective at survival, and that means |
| phenomena in humans, or any other organism, | | | | they were more effective at reproducing. |
| my question is immediately answered. Humans | | | | When organisms had no social instinct, they |
| are endowed with a complex brain because it | | | | died rather quickly -- not able to reproduce |
| is necessary towards survival. The same can | | | | something like themselves, leaving the world |
| be argued for any other living creature. | | | | destitute of such types of species. (And |
| Desire motivates, it creates movement. When | | | | while there may be exceptions to this rule of |
| a predator, either a crocodile or a lion or | | | | the social instinct, the previous description |
| any other for that matter, is hungry, it | | | | is how Evolution works: those unfit, do not |
| hunts to satisfy its desire. In this | | | | survive.) Why would the gods ever be needing |
| situation, the component of the brain that | | | | of the social instinct? Why ever should the |
| creates desire and want, especially for | | | | gods band together with other gods? In all |
| satisfying hunger, this component is | | | | honesty, I am bankrupt of any answer. The |
| essential. Those predators that were born | | | | gods cannot die, they cannot suffer |
| without this capability could not hunt or eat | | | | afflictions caused by natural disasters, they |
| as effectively, and could not fight for | | | | cannot be wounded. Everything that makes the |
| breeding rights very well either, since they | | | | social instinct desirable and useful is |
| could not want them. And, so, it would die, | | | | nonexistent with the gods. Banding together |
| leaving no offspring, leaving no other | | | | does nothing for them. One might argue "It |
| organisms on this planet with their DNA -- | | | | cures loneliness," but loneliness may in fact |
| DNA which contains a lack of desire. We can | | | | just be that instinct to band together |
| apply this to other organisms, too. Prey | | | | unsatisfied.Then there is the idea of desire. |
| that is born without a desire to flee its | | | | In all my studying of literature, I must say |
| natural predator, for example, will not live | | | | that the mythology of Greece, Egypt, and the |
| long enough to reproduce. The same can be | | | | entire Fertile Crescent is full of gods with |
| said of prey that does not want to eat to | | | | more desires and wants than any sane man. |
| satisfy its hunger, either. It will waste | | | | Since it seems very easy to believe that the |
| away to weakness and then be taken by its | | | | gods are simply an image of mankind, |
| predator.Desire definitely plays a strong and | | | | exaggerrated in many aspects, so it seems |
| important role in the psyche of all | | | | that these gods are endowed with many |
| consciousness-endowed organisms. However, it | | | | supernatural wants, needs, impulses, desires. |
| is not the only important part of | | | | Sometimes the drowning of an entire |
| consciousness. For example, there is also | | | | civilization in blood is not enough to quell |
| pain, the physical affliction, or misery, the | | | | the heart of the least dominant deity. I am |
| mental affliction. An animal can suffer, and | | | | also curious here... Why is it that the gods |
| it is this suffering that they will forever | | | | have been endowed with this ability of |
| be afraid of. Their fear and their suffering | | | | desiring? To what use is it really, when one |
| gives them something to desire: happiness and | | | | is a god? It has no use. For, if god, or |
| security. Without pain, an organism will not | | | | the gods, are capable of doing anything, then |
| react negatively to another trying to kill it | | | | they would not desire, but simply have. I |
| -- at least, if instincts were gone as well. | | | | can see the use of the desire ability in |
| Without happiness, an animal would not know | | | | organisms and animals on our own planet. |
| whether it was doing something right or | | | | When there is hunger, or sexual lust, or |
| wrong. The social instinct, to be in a | | | | gaining security in society, all of these |
| collective of like organisms, is natural to | | | | desires push and motivate the organism to do |
| almost every mammal. When wolves hunt in | | | | what is necessary to live and to reproduce. |
| packs, they are more effective killers. When | | | | And, once reproduction has occured, the cycle |
| humans band together to form societies and | | | | can happen all over again. When an animal is |
| civilizations, the fruit of their labor | | | | not fit enough to reproduce, or cannot live |
| increases. When zebras feed and mate in | | | | to that stage, then the genes that cursed it |
| packs, all of their stripes form a natural | | | | to a sexless life will not be found again, |
| defense, by disallowing predators from | | | | exception in the rare instances of reversion |
| knowing where one zebra starts and another | | | | perhaps.Many of the Freethinkers and |
| ends. The social instinct has given each | | | | philosophes of earlier years, and even our |
| organism a strong advantage in survival. | | | | own day, have attacked the idea of religion. |
| And, when organisms survive, they can | | | | God created man in his own image was a |
| reproduce, and more organisms like | | | | questioned idea, and we reversed it: man |
| themselves, with the same emotions and mental | | | | created god in his own image. This would |
| faculties, will be produced.Let us not forget | | | | seem to be the more credulous case of the |
| the importance of the mating instinct. The | | | | matter. We find gods in each civilization, |
| sexual arrousal caused by flirting or | | | | taking the race and species of its people. |
| foreplay plays a significant role in the | | | | This has varied in some cases, where gods |
| mating act. The orgasm itself and the sexual | | | | take on the forms of reptiles, mammals, and |
| drive to achieve are important to every | | | | birds. However, there is one thing in the |
| creature. It seems that in every group of | | | | nature of gods, spirits, and souls that seems |
| thoughtful organisms, there is not | | | | to be consistent in every religion we |
| competition for the right to reproduce, some | | | | investigate: they have wants, desires, lust, |
| how or some way. Often, it is the male | | | | hunger, and needs. Where every human being |
| competing for the female, but this is not the | | | | -- no, where every living creature is the |
| only case. In some cases, there is polygamy, | | | | same, in having a consciousness, we find that |
| and in others, there is polyandry. Every | | | | same consciousness in a rather inplausible |
| rule of behavior that we can think of for | | | | place: in a god, or a soul, or a spirit. It |
| other organisms will always have exceptions | | | | is clearly understood, then, that these gods |
| to it. The underlying fact that sex plays an | | | | and spirits are based on human ideas, that |
| important role in the mental faculties of | | | | they come from the minds of men, that they |
| conscious organisms is important to my | | | | spread by our mouths. And, it must also be |
| thesis. The mind is full of complexities and | | | | clearly understood, that the gods are nothing |
| faculties that make it conscious. All of | | | | more than an imperfect creation by the hands |
| these emotions, these feelings, play a strong | | | | of man. Life,Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has |
| sense in the conscious organism.Now that I | | | | been writing essays and poetry on social |
| have covered a great deal on the complexities | | | | issues which have caught his attention for |
| of conscious organisms, one might be curious | | | | several years. His website provides a |
| as to why I brought up this subject in the | | | | complete list of all of these writings. His |
| discussion of spirits. First of all, all of | | | | life experience includes homelessness, |
| the components of the mind that I mentioned | | | | squating in New Orleans and LA, dropping out |
| above -- desire, fear, social instinct, sex | | | | of high school, getting expelled from college |
| -- all of these components have a reason for | | | | for "subversive activities," and a myriad of |
| existence. By this, I mean that they all | | | | other revolutionary actions. |