The extraordinary human capacity for empathy is a result of mirror neurons. Empathy, like any other emotion, greatly influences thought. This creates an interesting, perhaps unique, quandary for humans. On one hand, this empathy (+) thought imparts an ability in humans to feel a profound sense of connection to nature and the universe beyond the narrower instinctive self-interests that usually drive life. Indeed, it bestows on us a sense and idea of spirituality, of god. Conversely, thought (–) empathy might only magnify narrow instinctive self-interests which profoundly disconnects us from what is naturally so—from nature itself. For every benefit comes a cost.
I suspect that empathy, even more than intelligence, is what makes us unique. Empathy is humanity’s most powerful instinct. Not that other animals lack empathy by any means. It is just that we may have evolved an extra helping. What’s more, I presume this abundance of empathy was a major factor in the evolution of human intelligence, although, both might have evolved together. Language has a divide and conquer effect on nature. That disconnect is offset by empathy, i.e., empathy is a connective instinct. (See Alone with Thought, p. 459)
Pondering my ‘intelligence’ I notice that the ability to connect my mind with any aspect of the external world that catches my interest is the foundation of my ‘intelligence’. Without that connection, I’d be much more limited in the scope of my awareness, and thought would be much more isolating and self-centered… not good for a social species! I imagine all this plausibly evolved like this:
Empathy is a survival advantage for social animals. In humans, empathetic connection enabled intelligence; intelligence enabled language; language disconnected us from nature’s singularity. This disconnection stimulated the evolution of greater empathy to compensate for the disconnection caused by language.
As a result, empathy is the secret sauce driving the human mind to zero in on its ‘beloved object’, be that an astronomer’s stars, a fashion designer’s fabrics, an accountant’s numbers, a gardener’s plants, and so on ad infinitum.
Mirror Neurons, Profound Sameness, Ghosts and Gods
This morning after daily tai chi at the beach, I looked at the seagulls next to me, then out over the ocean and realized how together it all felt. Emergent properties came to mind as the inevitable link between every facet of existence… “I” am the universe emergent, and it is “me”. Life is the natural and inevitable consequence of favorable conditions. Life must emerge and evolve if the conditions are suitable. This means the universe is conscious, and all the parts serve as the whole… profound sameness as chapter 56 would say.
Then, looking out over the horizon, my mind’s eye felt the photons streaming from the Sun to Earth that were producing the sky’s morning glow. Actually, my mirror neurons where allowing me to feel empathy for the photons, and in that spiritual union, I felt the strong sense of connection to something beyond my self. Then I thought, “How is that any different from a person whose mind’s eye feels the presence of ghosts, spirits, God, or any other intangible?” Of course, it’s the same. Both impart feeling a sense of connection—even to the point of profound sameness.
The trouble, the schism, begins when we get obsessed with naming this feeling in an attempt to possess it. Chapter 14 suitably describes what we are trying to hold on to.
The naming then becomes the answer to some aspect of our life. This makes mountains of spiritual unity into molehills of belief which easily blind us to the without of shape form, the without of matter shape all around us. We put all our spiritual eggs in one basket. From there it is just a short step into institutionalizing ‘a God’, rallying around ‘Him or Her’, and going to war on ‘His or Her’ behalf… or if not war, at least claiming we have a corner on the ‘Truth’. (See Do you believe in angels?, p.25)