Apes Quote by Charles Stross
“One ape's hallucination is another ape's religious experience - it just depends on which one’s god module is overactive at the time.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Accelerando, 2005
Religious experiences may be brain states, varying across individuals.
In simple terms: Religion can be brain activity.
Key Takeaway
Recognize neurobiological roots of belief.
Themes
religion
neuroscience
subjectivity
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- spiritual practice
- mental health
- philosophical debate
Key Concepts
god module
hallucination
cognitive diversity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate spiritual from neurological?
- Can brain activity explain all religious experiences?
A Different Perspective
Not all brain states are purely religious.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
