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Implications for Religious Belief

The theory of dissipative structures links the psychological/spiritual experiences with the consumption of energy.   Creative processes of the brain depend on the continuous supply of energy.   If energy supply is terminated, the brain will stop functioning and the body would decompose.

All major religions began in the early age of human civilization, incorporating ancient beliefs of supernatural beings and speculations about the origin of life and the universe.  The desires to know and to control the uncontrollable have spawned numerous religions and religious leaders.  The need to know and answer the questions of ¡°Who am I?¡± and ¡°What is the purpose of life?¡± have driven thinkers to explore the essence of existence.  To be on the side and supported by an all-powerful God would certainly help leaders to govern the masses and to defend and attack internal and external enemies.  Social and spiritual needs have been behind the creation of religions and are also the reason d¡¯etre of their continuous existence.  Even today, one should not belittle the power of religious faiths, particularly when integrated with secular and political interests.  However, as the saying that ¡°the truth shall set you free¡± goes, we would like to compare these religious beliefs with the concept of dissipative structures.  

Taking Christianity as an example, it has a poor track record vis-¨¤-vis scientific discoveries.  Its myth of Creation was proved wrong by the theory of evolution.  The rejection of the geologically and biologically proven theory of evolution by the Christian Church appears to lie in its claim that man was created in the image of God.  However, at the time when dinosaurs roamed on Earth some 65 million years ago, man was nowhere to be seen.  Would dinosaurs think their Creator was a supernatural dinosaur instead?

Also, the Church once upheld the geocentric view and persecuted the proponents of a heliocentric view.   These errors made by the Church were primarily of speculative and emotional origin without rational scientific foundation.  Today, energy dissipative computers enable us to acquire deeper insight into the complex processes of human thought and consciousness.  We can safely infer that if the condition of life after death exists, such an existence must have a way to utilize and dissipate energy.  Hence the belief of life after death contradicts the theory on dissipative structures.  The so-called out-of-body experience requires a living host that is dissipating energy.  No evidence ever exists to indicate that the all-powerful God and other lesser saints are dissipative structures themselves.   Without the means to utilize available energy, ghosts and demons do not have independent existence beyond human fantasy.  

Granting the need for internal moral control before misdeeds are done, it would be better if we can build our belief on firmer scientific ground than that of ancient religions.  One alternative is to believe in ¡°Divinity within oneself¡±.  Such a belief incorporates the concept of human species evolving towards a higher state of ¡°divine¡± existence, transcending its animalistic instincts and hereditary selfishness.  Also this belief emphasizes the reverence for life, amid which the human species is only one of numerous life forms.   Reverence for life agrees with the principle of protecting the environment and the whole interdependent biosphere.  Another cornerstone of modern belief is the law of causality ¨C or the karmic law in oriental philosophy.  Karmic law is universally applicable and is routinely used in scientific investigations.  When applied individually, as for example eating contaminated food causes diarrhea, the cause and effect is easily identified.  Most other cases are more complex with causes explainable upon intensive investigation.   Karmic law incorporates a statistical mode called collective karma.  Examples of collective karma include the spread of and the infection by a contagious disease; the experience of some ethnic or national groups encountering retributions.  It is crucial to identify the causal links, and act on them to create desirable results in accordance with the perceived goal of the cosmic evolution.