This nytimes piece explains from an evolutionary perspective why we so often confuse what is real

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/this-is-your-brain-on-metaphors/?WT.mc_id=OP-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-TYB-111610-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

Works on a lot of mormonism stuff too. High council, Deacon, Teacher, Priest, Bishop, sitting higher up on the stand, "authority OVER you", brother/sister, etc. etc. All of it has an effect on the brain that helps them get what they want.

I knew when I went into a court room all that was being played out on me, just hadn't thought about it in a church context.

The article is worth a read.

I particularly loved this observation:

"We study hard in high school to get admitted to a top college to get into grad school to get a good job to get into the nursing home of our choice. Gophers don’t do that."

Thanks for sharing!

Timothy

This is a good link and worth reading, if only because it exemplifies the kind of language and conceptual framework our culture is rapidly adopting --to our detriment, I believe.

Here's something of a rejoinder to the kind of thinking Sopolsky and his neuroscientist ilk exudes:

http://www.philosophypress.co.uk/?p=1583

Granted, Peter Hacker may come off as bitter, given that he has spent the better part of 20 years on Wittgenstein, and his life to philosophy, all of which has been summarily dismissed by Hawkins as "dead", but he's on to something very important, if we are to continue talking about the brain as if it thinks, wants, reasons and believes.

Cheers

Human

(Maybe Reed Smith or Robertb or Richard Foxe or some others of this kind will see this and share something less slap-dash.)

metaphorical category? And reality as literal? I notice that some folks think supernatural claims are real or literal.