ORIGIN First Spiritual Thought

While researching material related to the topic of this article, I came across the usual theories given on the origins of human existence. Our begging as a simple organism containing the building blocks of DNA found in the Earths primordial ocean.

When mouths of a type were formed we took small gulps of the atmosphere above the water, slowly developing organs and appendages mutating for life on land. The typical evolution of physical form put forth as a part of the theroy of adaptation.

What was most intrieging about early human kinds state of existence, found within the continual process of evolution, was the subtle transition from a more ape-like form into what we now call Homo Sapien, acknowledged as the most advanced version of us at this point in time.

With this state of transition in mind, anthropological scientists came up with a concept known as Hypersensitive Agency Detecting Device or HADD. In shortened definition, HADD is the inner mechanism which caused early humans to percieve that other things have 'agency' or the ability to act on their own accord. Along with it came the understanding that human beings were not in control of the world they inhabited.

Simian/Homo Sapiens were vunerable to predation by much stronger carniverous animals, frail compared to the less deadly ones they hunted for food. This underlying weakness led to a thought process, one of growing awareness of acting for a purpose. This is called Theroy of Mind or ToM by evolutionary scientists and is cited in discussions on the origin of spirituality and religious practice.

The natural world which early man participated in was dangerous and beyond his control.

The falling rain along with intense thunderstorms, the movement of the sun and moon, the strange event of an eclipse changing the familiar, earthquake and volcanic eruption, all brought about a consciousness of mans insignificance.

This realization and just when it first occured as thought is a mystery. Perhaps happening as a sudden jump in awareness which contributed to making us fully Homo Sapien. 

And from the awe inspiring reality of naturally occuring events the gods were born in us.

Becoming beings (or a being) in complete control of all things, similar to human but much greater in dimension with supernatural power; this was the beginning of belief in immortal diety.

Worshipped, given tribute, made even more tangible through ritual, they would become a comforting reality for early human beings. With diety at the wheel the world existed in was not of chaotic or random events, but rather, under the stewardship of divine manipulation, calculated and full of meaning.

When early man had realized the limits of his ability to control his existence, a god believed in could be appealed to and appeased. Ritual practice began, this most certainly providing a sense of comfort along with a type of psycological balance helping the first Homo Sapiens in their evolution and advancement of a developing human society.

Modern mankind has progressed beyond the mythological belief in divine diety granting wishes to the faithful. But the reasons behind their creation remain with us.

Even with our understanding of how they function, tiny things such as viruses have the power to control our behavior, forcing us to adapt to their 'agency.' In this way our origin in spiritual reality, along with the continuing desire to have a better form of existence, is exactly the same as it was for our ancestors in prehistoric times.