SuperSense: Why We Believe in the Unbelievable
A handful of recent books disparaging religion by atheists such as Richard Dawkins have largely put the blame on culture for humanity&#x2019;s widespread unscientific beliefs. Yet what if the greatest influence on our supernatural convictions is the built-in wiring of our brains? Hood is an internationally renowned neuroscientist who has developed a revolutionary new theory to explain why, in the face of dubious evidence, humans so readily put their faith in supernatural forces. Dubbed supersense, Hood&#x2019;s theory traces religious inclinations to how the brain processes information: a hardwired tool kit for making sense of the world that begins in childhood. In 10 engaging and informative chapters with titles like &#x201C;Could You Wear a Killer&#x2019;s Cardigan?&#x201D; and &#x201C;Would You Let Your Wife Sleep with Robert Redford?&#x201D; Hood lays out the evidence for the mind&#x2019;s penchant for seeing patterns in disconnected events and cultivating sacred values that bind humans together. Hood&#x2019;s treatise provides a much-needed counterbalance to hard-core skeptics by arguing that supersense, while not exactly grounded in rationality, ultimately gives our lives meaning. --Carl Hays