[ExI] Evolution of hypnosis susceptibility/was Re: Physics versus psychology

[Dan]

Maybe. Could it also be related to predation? Predators usually have to focus on 
prey. Granted, humans were not top level predators -- they were catfood much of 
the time, no? -- but like many primates, humans or their ancestors, seem to have 
engaged in some predation. But your view seems more correct here. How to test 
this?

On an unrelated note, do you feel this should be the new national anthem for the 
US?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnwTuDAQwN0

Regards,

Dan


----- Original Message ----
From: Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com>
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Sun, October 24, 2010 7:21:49 PM
Subject: Re: [ExI] Physics versus psychology

On 10/24/2010 6:02 PM, Keith Henson wrote:
> But hypnosis has me baffled.  I can't come up with a reason the
> psychological trait engaged in hypnosis has any survival or
> reproductive advantage at all.

It's a while since I look at the literature, but I gather that hypnosis is 
regarded as an instance of attention-capture; the "suggestible" who respond best 
probably exempflify strongly what happens to us all during collective episodes 
of focused attention on a leader or the mood of one's group. In a memetic animal 
like H. sapiens, I think the value of such a trait is pretty obvious.

Damien Broderick
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