Gods Appeared Only After the Brain Had Sufficiently Evolved

It appears we’ve always had gods in our lives. The ancient Egyptians invented over two thousand of them. The Maori currently worship about sixty unique gods. Other gods have come and gone, such as Biema, Chwezi, Dakgipa, Enuunap, Fundongthing, Hokshi Tagob, Ijwala, Lata, Mbori, Pab Dummat, Ra, Tirawa, Vervecator, Messor, Insitor, Vodu, Xi-He, and Zeus, to name a few of the thousands of gods that have been studied. Living gods animate places of worship, while dead gods are on display in museums. When did gods first appear and why do humans keep inventing them? Ancient hominins worshipped gods. Recent archeological and neurobiological evidence suggests that as the human brain evolved, specific cognitive abilities appeared that paralleled the invention of gods and their role in human life. Gods came from the human brain (Torrey, 2017).

Two million years ago, Homo habilis skulls show a significant increase in brain size and probably an increase in overall intelligence and skills. The British psychologist Nicholas Humphrey described H. habilis as having “clever brains but blank minds.” Two hundred thousand years later, archeological evidence suggests that Homo erectus learned to control fire, cook food (which made a dramatic improvement in overall brain health) and developed self-awareness (Torrey, 2017).

Two hundred thousand years ago, archaic Homo sapiens (Neandertals) developed an awareness of others' thoughts. Their brains were significantly bigger than H. erectus, and they had a taller brain case with a much larger parietal lobe. The parietal lobe combines visual, auditory, and sensory information to allow the brain to understand the world around us. The parietal lobe underlies many aspects of the psychological concept called the “theory of mind.” The psychologist Jesse Bering concluded that “God was born of theory of mind.” In addition, by this time a single mutation in the FOXP2 gene had probably allowed archaic H. sapiens to speak (Deacon, 1997). This means that gods could now read your mind, speak your language, and know what you are thinking.

One hundred thousand years ago, a more evolved version of Homo sapiens benefited from changes in brain structure that gave them an introspective ability, which allowed them to reflect on their own thoughts and those of others. For example, around this time, archeologists have discovered decorative necklaces made of shells that were purposely stained with colors and supposedly worn to impress others.

These speculations depend heavily upon the study of skulls and artifacts. Skulls can be measured to determine volume, the relative asymmetries of the two hemispheres, and the relative size of specific brain regions, which speaks to their new importance in brain function. It’s also possible to determine the size and distribution of the major blood vessels, which provides insight into the location of the most active brain regions during life. Artifacts offer insights into cognitive abilities and behaviors. Sophisticated and multi-step tool and weapon making and the production of jewelry for self-ornamentation all suggest advancing cognitive abilities.

The final step in the invention of gods probably required one more advancement; this appears to have happened about forty thousand years ago when Homo sapiens demonstrate clear evidence of an ability to project themselves backward (autobiographical memory) and forward in time (based on memories). They could carefully plan for future activities with others and predict future events. Their burial practices demonstrate that they fully understood death as the termination of their own personal existence. In addition, they began to imagine alternatives to death and speculated on where their deceased ancestors existed. Frequently, they looked up into the night sky at the stars for their gods.

Around 12,000 years ago, due to the agricultural revolution, modern Homo sapiens settled down into villages and began burying their dead next to the living, usually in their own home. During the next few thousand years, ancestor worship became widespread and increasingly elaborate. Due to their prowess or power while alive, some ancestors became regarded as more important than others and were regarded as gods. Studies of hunter-gatherer societies have reported that belief in the afterlife appears prior to ancestor worship, which is then followed by the invention of gods (Cox, 2014). The spirits of those revered ancestors watch over those who are left behind, protect them from harm, and visit them in their dreams. By the time these Hominins started writing around 6,500 years ago, gods were already quite plentiful. According to the Greek philosopher Euhemeros of Macedonia the “gods were originally human rulers who were gradually deified by their subjects.” (Malefijt, 1968).

By about ten to seven thousand years ago, modern Homo sapiens were domesticating animals and plants and creating stable civilizations. During this same period, evidence from skulls shows an enlargement of the lateral prefrontal cortex. This critical brain region was likely the most recent cortical area to have evolved and plays an important role in planning, reasoning and problem solving. With their newly acquired brain region and the abilities it provided, they might have also started wondering about where they came from and what happens after death. At this time, their writings and artifacts indicate that they found their answers in their gods and religions. The rest is history.