anthropologist at uc davis.
contributing writer at the new yorker.
author of SHAMANISM: THE TIMELESS RELIGION (knopf + allen lane).
manvir singh
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I had a wonderful time speaking to Tanay and Jay from the Cognitations podcast about why Pleistocene human societies were much more diverse—including being larger, more sedentary, and more hierarchical—than is often assumed. Check it out!!
Why do people endorse seemingly extraordinary beliefs such as in pseudoscience & supernatural entities?
Leading approaches stress cognitive biases (like agency detection) & social dynamics (like signaling). Eli Stark-Elster & I argue that experience matters too & put fwd a framework explaining how.
Just came across this map from the CDC, which contains possibly the most confusing color scheme I have ever seen in a figure.
Source: www.cdc.gov/sleep/data-r...
Psilocybin mushrooms are found worldwide, yet I have long argued (based on direct evidence) that traditional use is confined to Mesoamerica.
I was wrong!
In a new paper led by @eselster.bsky.social, we document Indigenous psilocybin mushroom use—potentially very old—in highland southern Africa.
Monotheism has swept the world in just a few thousand years, making it one of the most important cultural innovations in human history.
In this week's New Yorker, I offer an explanation for what makes it so powerful. (It's not about belief in one god.)
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
What can shamanism teach us about religion -- and the human mind?
What a pleasure to share this excellent conversation to the listeners of On Humans! The hard work was done by @manymindspod.bsky.social and @manvir.bsky.social 🙏
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4nhm3fG...
Apple 👇
My favourite chapter so far in @manvir.bsky.social ‘s compelling new book is the one on the oracles of finance. Highly recommended.
Why do humans punish? Our new paper, with @manvir.bsky.social, is out in Psychological Science!
With experiments in a small-scale society (Mentawai) & the US, we test whether punitive cognition evolved to deter wrongdoing or restore fairness.
link: tinyurl.com/msrmu7cc
pdf: tinyurl.com/mvprz8fb
How experience shapes extraordinary beliefs
Review by Eli Stark-Elster (@eselster.bsky.social) & Manvir Singh (@manvir.bsky.social)
tinyurl.com/y9dbwaa5
In a new article for @us.theconversation.com, I explain our new perspective on how experience shapes extraordinary beliefs -- a good piece to read if you want the quick and dirty deets!
theconversation.com/flat-earth-s...
What monotheism means is surprisingly hard to pin down, but there’s a reason it swept the world.
www.newyorker.com
Joshua Richardson
Eli Stark-Elster
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Léo Fitouchi
People claim that psychedelics have been used by Indigenous groups around the world for millennia. But clear evidence of serotonergic psychedelic use has long been confined to the Americas.
Until now. Here, we document clear evidence of Indigenous psilocybin use in Lesotho. 🍄
osf.io/preprints/so...
Conspiracy thinking, supernatural beliefs and pseudoscience can seem impervious to evidence. An anthropologist suggests the opposite: Extraordinary beliefs may be supported by an individual’s experien...
In a new Review for @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social -- and my first first-authored paper! -- @manvir.bsky.social and I argue that experience shapes the emergence and evolution of seemingly extraordinary beliefs.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🎙️ EP #19
Think our ancestors lived in a state of "primitive communism"? New research reveals our deep past was far more complex than the "noble savage" myth suggests.
@adigitaltanay.bsky.social & Jay explore this & much more with @manvir.bsky.social
youtu.be/1BRZy9O665k?...
The ubiquity of extraordinary beliefs across human societies, such as conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, and supernatural beliefs, is a long-standing…
