Abstract
M.A. (Anthropology)
Religion, generally accepted as a cultural phenomenon and as such studied from a socio-cultural perspective, is increasingly becoming the subject for inter-disciplinary studies. With advances in genetic research, the study of human evolution, and historic ethnographies it is becoming clear that our biological and cultural evolution is entwined.
The theory of gene-culture co-evolution provides a model for one, or both components of a two-way study: how our genetic make-up may direct and/or constrain our cultural evolution; and conversely, how our cultural evolution may influence our genetic make-up and biological evolution. Religion, with its persistence through space and time, is an ideal phenomenon to test against the theory of gene-culture co-evolution. However, defining ‘religion’ is a historic challenge in the study of the phenomenon. Entheogenism is suggested as a new term to describe a causal factor that is expressed in religious beliefs and behaviours.
I used the principles of a systematic review to collect literature to test two hypotheses. Each hypothesis tests one of the two-way components of gene-culture co-evolution. The first tests whether the human brain as phenotypical product directs or constrains expressions of entheogenism. The second hypothesis tests whether entheogenic practices and expression may influence our genetic make-up.
My findings show that the human brain is a fertile ground for the facilitation of entheogenic expression, behaviour, and belief. Nonetheless, neurotheology does not explain why entheogenism persists, but only how the phenomenon exists. Furthermore, persisting assortative mating for entheogenic characteristics may influence the heritability of predispositions for entheogenism. It is concluded that, based on my research approach, entheogenism and religion as expression is plausibly a phenomenon of gene-culture co-evolution.