Division of the psyche (animal, human and divine)

[LukeS]

I read in this book that across many cultures the psyche has been viewed in three aspects, the animal, the human and the divine immortal aspect.

In Medieval scholasticism it was anima bruta, anima humana, and anima divina. In Islam its the nafs, the ruh and the sir.

He (apparently) gives good examples from a wide range of ancient cultures.

So if its true, why has this division been made? Does it relate to brain dynamics? Archetypes? What has been their function from an evolutionary perspective? I get the idea that we view ourselves as "non animal" and there has to be circuitry for that attitude... any thoughts?

 

[Terese]

Perhaps because of the idea that we (humans) believe animals are of lower intelligence, and perceive ourselves superior to them (creating a distinction between us and animals), but not superior to divinity, as they have knowledge/experience we don't have, thus these 3 psyches are born.

 

[Electra]

everythings purpose is to transform energy to a more finite energy, there is various stages to this ... each as important as the last. just stages

 

[Quintessence]

Perhaps because of the idea that we (humans) believe animals are of lower intelligence, and perceive ourselves superior to them (creating a distinction between us and animals), but not superior to divinity, as they have knowledge/experience we don't have, thus these 3 psyches are born.

Then I suppose these "psyches" would be entirely absent in those who don't exhibit this kind of thinking.

The narrative certainly caters to the common philosophies of many Westerners, though. Philosophies that I happen to despise, but each to their own weaving of tales.

 

[LuisDantas]

I am not sure of what is being asked in this thread.

To the best of my understanding, it is whether it is frequent to perceive agents as being inferior, presumably equivalent and superior to ourselves in their ability and merit.

To which I can only answer that yes, it is. We are neurologically likely to do that if left to our own devices.

 

[LukeS]

One of the queations is: is there an innate neurological basis for "three types of mind" perception. Another it what is the evolutonary function of this, if so.

As an ex atheist I can say that theism really opened my mind, and I can access "spirituality" in a "obvious" way now, whereas it was closed to me in the past. So one of my pet theories about changing belief and religious experience is to do with opening up new "innate" pathways in the psyche, which lay dormant, but the change can give us the profound experience of ecstatic spiritual discovery. Like a bifurcation point, in maths, where the behaviour of the dynamic system changes and stabilises around a new equilibrium.

Another idea is if Darwinism sees mankind as animals, and we live in a "concrete jungle" then maybe this label accidentally presents us as dehumanised. Like, hunters had the "animal mode" whereby they switched off compassion and empathy in the kill, but we are vulnerable to this interpersonally if we have an "errant" view of psyche...

Finally we seem instinctively to chat about heaven and hell, alongside earth. Maybe these three modes are related... programmable models of the higher and lower zones of existence which we have used as group level heuristics for adapting to a changeable world. Tiered cosmos, and tiered psyche working together in an interactive (higher = heaven <-> soul, average = earth <->humanity... etc) anthropologically based cosmology.

Darwinism gives us the crossed wires of "average = earth <->animal" ??? Neitzsche taught the superman, a naturalised version of the higher realm, resulting from repression of soul level psychology and of heaven's faith??? No preaching intended. The secularists contemporary "higher soul" seems to be IQ, as the greatest blessing ever.