the timboucher experience

I don’t particularly agree with the field of memetics in general, nor does this quote quite touch on what I want it to. But it’s close to some ideas that I am working out, so I want to paste it in for later use. They are talking about religions as memeplexes:

The purpose of religion may seem awkward or even unintelligible, but to the host the memeplex of religion creates a paradigm through which he or she can solve philosophical questions and feel content in knowing that these questions can be solved. The built-in defense mechanisms against other explanations will furthermore protect the host (and the memeplex) from being subjected to changes of this basic belief system. Aside from protecting the host from hostile meme-intrusions, religions also include a factor of ‘conversion’. All major world-religions have a religious task to spread the religion and convert non-believers. Next to that, they all have their own holy scriptures which hasten spreading and make sure the memes can survive over time.

Here’s a bit more interesting quote from another source:

One of Blackmore’s most interesting concepts regarding memes and religions is the lack of meme power of the mystical experience. Direct spiritual experience, peak experience, enlightenment or whatever one may call it is usually ineffable and thus hard to describe and pass on. To quote Blackmore; “In spontaneous mystical experiences people typically feel they have been given a glimpse of the world as it really is. They feel that self and other have become one… These may indeed be valid insights (I believe they are), but on their own they are not very successful as memes, and rapidly get overtaken by all the more powerful religious ideas…”

• Religions as Memeplexes (Part 2)
• Memes & story engrams
• Memes & story engrams
• The government officially denies that any supernatural entities exist or have any influence on human life.
• New Article Published on Religious Syncretism