When did man first decide that there were gods.

I have often wondered at what stage of evolution or creation did mankind first find the need to have superior beings whom he called "Gods".
What happened to make early man think that there were "gods" and that they lived in the heavens?

Did this thinking happen at about the time that mankind became more that a wild animal, hunting for food and shelter.
Was he influenced by extraterrestials, appearing out of the sky, who gave him added knowledge, which he eventually used to become better equiped to survive the harsh environment he inhabited?
Did he realise that there were more intelligent beings than him around and his primitive mind started to believe that these extraterrestials were all powerful and should be worshipped as being special?
This seems plausible to me, as there is enough reference to this happening in early texts and other information surviving to this day.

So when or why did prehistoric man start to believe in "gods".
Was Eric von Dannekin right - Was god an astronaut?

Belief in gods probably began as early as we have been able to dream. Think if you were a primitive human and you had a dream of a dead family member. You wouldn't know how to explain it. Just as when you're a kid, you look up to someone bigger than yourself for guidance. This doesn't change as you get older. It's human nature to create god and religion. A defense mechanism of sorts. If we can't find a purpose to live, we create one. Something like the weather during thunderstorms, or even something as simple as the night sky could have made them believe there's a god "up there"

It happens when a woman shows him heaven.

We started believing in gods since the end of atlantis.
Even egypt, though their 'god system' was actually a template to i guess, enlightenment or ascension or immortality. Mystery schools and the like.

One pharoh tried to install a one god in egypt after it egypt was combined into one country, But that didn't turn out too well, guess people like worshiping 88 gods. But that pharohs message was a true one, god is within thyself.

Check out the Spirit science movie. youll find it really interesting.

There has always been god, but modern religion is just a means of control, its been adapted and perverted from its real teachings.

reply to post by Sailor Sam

What happened to make early man think that there were "gods" and that they lived in the heavens?

It was probably from witnessing all the phenomena that he couldn't fathom.
Like the old saying goes, magic is just science unexplained.

reply to post by Sailor Sam


The idea of gods may be untraceable as to where it first originated.

However, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Somewhere way back in the mists of time a priest or king figured out that being a god was a pretty good gig. He declared himself a god and got people to go along with it. This has happened throughout history.

It depends on your perspective.

For those with a view of evolutionary starting point, it could be a matter of when self-awareness and insight developed that, with progressive thinking, the idea of a higher ultimate consciousness would seem to be a logical conclusion.

For those with more of a creationist viewpoint, the first man would have known that he was created and knew his God who created him. The more appropriate question from this perspective is "When did men start to forget their God and start thinking that there were other gods, or perhaps even none at all?"

Probably around about the same time someone realised they could use it to control people.

reply to post by Sailor Sam

So when or why did prehistoric man start to believe in "gods". Was Eric von Dannekin right - Was god an astronaut?

A very intriguing subject because the concept of a 'god' is entirely unique. I mean, do we assume that the animal kingdom has gods? Or is it entirely human? If the latter, it makes it even more special.

To acknowledge the existence of god, or God or gods, we first have to admit that we are lesser beings. This can be defined in a modern sense quite well by the way organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous once required members to admit that they had lost the war with a drug and that their only hope was in a greater being than themselves.

The first lap of this course removed any individual pride, any self and any personal importance. It cancels who you are and replaces you with a concept of being a far lesser being than you ever imagined.

One cannot have some gods without first ripping away that human pride... we must prostrate ourselves, lower our heads and play the part of the scolded poodle.

But it is my personal view that much of the table setting here is human... built to create fear in those who claim to represent whatever god in question. History is rife with this kind of thing.

So... whenever man perhaps understood that a smarter, greater levels of being existed... but then made a choice to lasso that concept and use it to harness his fellow humans.

reply to post by Sailor Sam


Maybe a typo, I know. Make them myself from time to time. But Erich's name only has one n in it:
Erich von Daniken or Erich von Däniken


As for your intro, I will only leave you with a few questions:

Who tamed humanity?
Who domesticated mankind?
Have you ever witnessed a feral human being?
Have you ever seen a wild person, in the traditional sense?

Perhaps the ancients were right, and there is truth in their "myths", "legends", and "lore".

Originally posted by Frogs
reply to post by Sailor Sam

 

The idea of gods may be untraceable as to where it first originated.

However, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Somewhere way back in the mists of time a priest or king figured out that being a god was a pretty good gig. He declared himself a god and got people to go along with it. This has happened throughout history.

Good point, but what made a primitive human think up something so different, what/who was the trigger, that is what I am after. You mention a priest, thus he already believed in 'gods' why else would he be a priest?
Why and when did prehistoric man start to think about the existence of "gods". That is still to be answered, I am looking at a time before priests and kings.

Originally posted by davidchin
It depends on your perspective.

For those with a view of evolutionary starting point, it could be a matter of when self-awareness and insight developed that, with progressive thinking, the idea of a higher ultimate consciousness would seem to be a logical conclusion.

For those with more of a creationist viewpoint, the first man would have known that he was created and knew his God who created him. The more appropriate question from this perspective is "When did men start to forget their God and start thinking that there were other gods, or perhaps even none at all?"

When and why did early man start to think about more than hunting, gathering and procreation, the three prime reasons for a species' existence. What triggered that self awareness and progressive thinking?
Wheras the creationist would have us believe that mankind has always been like it is now, that is blatantly not true either.

reply to post by Sailor Sam

Perhaps it just begins with the projection of fears.
Children find it easy enough to invent objects of fear- under the bed, in the darkest corners of the coal-shed. I remember some of mine.
Then in the primitive mind there is the question of the best way to treat dead members of the family.
Original ideas probably just elaborated out of those roots.

reply to post by DISRAELI


You are talking about modern children, who have already been exposed to modern man's thinking and his worries and beliefs.
I am still looking for that first spark of extra intelligence that created mankind's "gods".
This is not a religion bashing topic, I am really intrigued.
I have asked a friend, a minister of religion herself and a very progressive one. She is not sure either.

reply to post by Sailor Sam

I don't know, I think the fears are more instinctive.
I don't think my fear of the dark space round the corner above the coals, especially at night, had been inspired by anything I heard or read. It just seemed natural that it should be the haunt of "things". However, I also invented for myself rules that would hold them back.
I suggest that this is the development of early religion in a nutshell.

The idea of God(s) stems from anything which is unknown or poorly understood. The earliest Gods that we as a species remember were personifications of nature.

Primitive societies didn't understand why the wind blows or why the tide comes in, their explanation was that there must be some invisible being controlling these things. They created a God for nearly everything: wind, water, plants, animals, the sun, the moon...all in a basic attempt to classify and understand.

I think the idea of God must have been around ever since humans had began asking "why?"

reply to post by Sailor Sam


I think that we as a species have arrived in the century of a new consciousnes. The times of out-dated and stuborn darwinisms and the "truth" that the church has been teaching us is over.

It is plausible to assume that there were other worldly beings at the beginning of our abillity to think rational. In our limited way of understanding we looked up to these beings because they were not like us and seemed to have abillities we could not comprehand.

What is the definition of a God? Webster dictonairy has this definition for us.

1. The supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions.[Wordnet]
2. A man of such superior qualities that he seems like a deity to other people; "he was a god among men".[Wordnet]
3. A material effigy that is worshipped as a god; "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"; "money was his god".[Wordnet]
4. Any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force.[Wordnet]
5. A being conceived of as possessing supernatural power, and to be propitiated by sacrifice, worship, etc.; a divinity; a deity; an object of worship; an idol.[Websters]
6. The Supreme Being; the eternal and infinite Spirit, the Creator, and the Sovereign of the universe; Jehovah.[Websters]
7. A person or thing deified and honored as the chief good; an object of supreme regard.[Websters]
8. Figuratively applied to one who wields great or despotic power.[Websters].

The thing I miss in this definition is the fact that a god wants to be worshipped by his worshippers. I think this is important to answer your question.

So when did man first decide that there were gods...?

My answer....When the god(s) told man to worship them.

reply to post by Diyainoue
You're misguided my friend. Man first started to realize god when "A WOMAN GAVE HIM HELL FOR SOMETHING HE DID WRONG."

Originally posted by Glass
The idea of God(s) stems from anything which is unknown or poorly understood. The earliest Gods that we as a species remember were personifications of nature.

Primitive societies didn't understand why the wind blows or why the tide comes in, their explanation was that there must be some invisible being controlling these things. They created a God for nearly everything: wind, water, plants, animals, the sun, the moon...all in a basic attempt to classify and understand.

I think the idea of God must have been around ever since humans had began asking "why?"

I can go along with that, but why create a god to understand nature and how do you know "their explanation was that there must be some invisble being controlling these things".
Would primitive man have understood invisibility, did he grasp that concept? I don't know and I suggest that nobody today really knows the answer.
What was the catalyst, what made the primitive society, before writing was invented, want to understand tides etc.
We know other animal species work with wind, tides etc, Do these animals have or need gods?

I am still looking for a logical answer, but I suggest that there is none.

reply to post by zatara


Yes I have read all those definitions, but they are the creation of modern man, I want to go further back.
Why and where did the original thougts about a god or gods come from.
What events (s) happened to primitive prehistoric man to start him on that path.