The standard big history of human evolution, exemplified in Yuval Noah Harari's bestseller Sapiens, sees religion and spirituality as a byproduct of survival, at best a necessary fiction.

But new science is telling a different story. Research done by Robin Dunbar, Agustin Fuentes, Robert Bellah and others is showing how engaging with invisible worlds and supernatural vitalities is an ancient and central aspect of Homo culture, which took off with the emergence of Homo sapiens.

Considering matters from Neanderthal art to altered states of mind, this vlog tells that story and asks why it matters today.

You might also enjoy my essay - https://aeon.co/essays/how-trance-states-forged-human-society-through-transcendence

For more about Mark - https://www.markvernon.com