Evolutionary theorists
Evolutionary theorists seek to explain present day traits within the population by thinking about where they come from and what purpose they serve our species, usually in terms of our survival.
Two terms that often come up are adaptation and maladaptation. Adaptation is the notion that all living beings are changing over time in order to enhance their chances of survival within their environment, for example humans having opposable thumbs. Maladaptation is the idea that sometimes the traits that are selected for or become present within a species are unhelpful for the survival of that species in its present environment. Traits within the population that are considered in the present to be maladaptive will at some point within human history have been adaptive.
Theories
There are several theories regarding the development of unusual experiences from an evolutionary perspective, listed below:
Mismatch: This theory suggests that there is a mismatch between our brains and the modern world leading to people more readily having unusual experiences.
Trade-offs: In this theory the notion of trade-offs within phenotypes is a fundamental feature of human cognition, for example our cognitive abilities are shaped by our genes and can be studied through several cognitive tasks and these aspects of human cognition have a correlation suggesting a balance of strengths and comparable weaknesses in certain cognitive profiles.
Polygenetic mutation-selection: This theory highlights the importance of on-going new mutations in genes as contributing to maladaptive cognitions or behaviours.
Mechanism of survival: In this theory unusual experiences are seen as a survival mechanism, for example the traits associated with these experiences are ‘normal’ and serve an important function within typical human development and adjustment to new environments.
Trade-offs
Within this theory there are many phenotypes (observable traits) that are considered to be specific to or exemplified within humans, listed below:
- Language.
- Sense of self.
- Mentalistic skills.
- Social emotionality.
- Complex and regulated goal pursuit.
- Empathic drive.
- Visual-spatial technical skills.
- Abstract intelligence.
Explanations
These phenotypes are shown to have developed throughout the evolution of the human species through a series of mutations. These phenotypes can vary in two opposing directions i.e. an individual may have a weaker sense of self or a stronger sense of self depending on their gene expression (which can be regulated by their genetic makeup and the environment).
When thinking about unusual experiences in relation to these phenotypes, it is helpful to consider that each can demonstrate an ‘out of control’ or ‘runaway’ type of effect in either direction and that the quality of some unusual sensory experiences or unusual beliefs can correlate with this.
Think about the first phenotype, language, and how this might differ in either direction. An individual might have no language use, such as mutism or they might have the overuse of language such as hearing voices. This can be a pattern throughout the phenotypes listed above, try the activity below to match the phenotypes to the experiences.
- Sense of self: Feeling larger than life.
- Mentalistic skills: Overanalysing others intentions causing fear and worry.
- Social emotionality: High levels of complex emotions, for example guilt, shame or embarrassment.
- Complex and regulated goal pursuit: Overworking and having a very high drive.
- Empathic drive: Connecting in an overwhelming way with others emotions.
This shows how each phenotype, when overly expressed, can link up with the sorts of experiences a person may have that relate to unusual sensing and beliefs.
Both visual-spatial technical skills and abstract intelligence have a tendency to be less expressed in individuals who have unusual experiences. This presents a trend towards a trade-off between social traits (those that appear overly expressed) and non-social traits (those that appear less expressed).
This trade-off is evident in some research which suggests that more generally verbal or social skills and non-social skills are oppositional to each other, for example verbal IQ and performance IQ show an inverse relationship, meaning as one increases the other decreases.
This theory suggests then that unusual experiences, as a part of the trade-off of human cognition demonstrated through phenotype expression, have a natural evolved biological basis and simply represent cognitive diversity.
Mechanism of survival
In this theory unusual experiences are seen as an adaptive response to certain environmental contexts, much like the adaptive nature of worry and low mood. This may explain why there are still genes within the human population, that underlie unusual experiences, that haven’t been eliminated through natural selection (the process over many years of certain genes or traits being removed from a species through evolution).
Unusual experiences then are seen as an over-emphasised version of self-consciousness. Self-consciousness being the ability to be aware of oneself in relation to the body and the environment. Humans have the ability to be aware that not only do we have a body that we are able to possess and use but additionally we can have another type of experience, an out of body experience.
If you notice the prevalence (frequency) of unusual experiences within the general population, particularly at a superficial degree, this is suggestive of it being a ‘normal’ phenomenon when considering the human capacity for conscious awareness.
How many people do you think unusual experiences?
- Superficial unusual experiences in adolescents: 40 to 66%.
- Unusual experiences in the general adult population: 17%.
This highlights the idea that unusual experiences, whether superficial or not, affect a significant proportion of the population. Given that within adolescents the rates are quite high, this can be an indication of an environmental context where the ability to have some unusual experiences is adaptive.
Looking more specifically at the point at which unusual experiences may prove adaptive, this theory specifically considers the adolescent to adult period of life. During this period individuals are expected to adapt to new environments, often drastically different than their previous environment, for example as a child develops and leaves home. This is seen as a normal social system change and can give rise to several mechanisms that can be seen as naturally defensive and protective, as shown in the list below:
- Which places are safe and which are not?
- Which people can be trusted and which can not?
- Which signs and signals are important and which can be ignored?
Furthermore, one had better not trust everyone at first sight and one must become familiar with ones surroundings and the patterns within this. Being the social outsider is stressful and takes time to overcome, one had better not be naive in trusting people too quickly.
An individual’s survival then may be based on ways of thinking and behaving that can be associated with unusual experiences, including; being hyper-alert, feeling different, being hypersensitive, sleeping less deeply, interpreting signs and details as ‘echoes from the past’ and inner observations.
In this sense the occurrence of unusual experiences are thought to be both natural and functional. However, these experiences can potentially become maladaptive in a similar way to both worry and low mood, when they go into over drive. In this case the balancing forces for an adaptive outcome may be the capacity and speed of becoming accustomed to the new environment. This typically requires cognitive flexibility, smooth mental shifting, well developed social skills and a basic experience of relationships and surroundings being safe and trustworthy.
Consider more:
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