Ventura, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/09/2013 -- While many view society’s renewed interest in the Supernatural as a step in the right direction, others see it as a worrying dispute of modern science. In his bold and compelling new book, California’s Dr. Herman Kagan puts both approaches head-to-head in a powerful exposé’ of why the humanistic approach is the only theory that truly makes sense.

‘Faith, Supernatural Beliefs and Our Symbolic Brain’, the result of years of diligent research, holds the power to provide humankind with a raw and vital wake-up call.

Synopsis: We have been endowed with a symbolic brain with which we create supernatural beliefs consciously or unconsciously to help us adapt to physical and psychological adversity, the social world we live in and the natural world around us.

These beliefs also represent our intense human emotions and our conviction that we are more special than all other animals and are more than our physical self. What is more than our physical self we designate as our spiritual self, a self that doesn't conform to the laws of science as we know them and that is based on faith that can be passed down from generation to generation.

It took evolution three and a half billion years to produce an animal that can understand a non-symbolic world with symbolic models and in symbolic terms. We are that animal. With the benefit of science we have developed beliefs about the world and ourselves based on repeatable observation, experimentation, logic and model creation.

However our symbolic brain allows us to create false models and false beliefs which can lead to disastrous consequences. Supernatural beliefs are these false beliefs. They continue to exist, however, because they serve human survival by reducing anxiety, fear, stress, and the feeling of alienation.

Thus, natural selection has bolstered their impact. So, our symbolic brain's penchant for the supernatural is a mixed blessing-but a blessing nevertheless.

We have used supernatural beliefs to give us a sense of control over physical and emotional disorders, to control emotional pain resulting from the loss of a loved one (heaven is waiting, there is an after-life and we will meet our dead relatives after we die), to see into the future (through psychics, magical objects and astro-projection) and to tap into the divine spirit and spiritual powers that reside in our human makeup and human psyche. These are faith based beliefs that are difficult or impossible to prove false.

As the author explains, faith-based beliefs struggle to prove their weight in light of modern scientific evidence.

“They can easily lead us astray; like believing in spiritual healing, an after-life, reincarnation, the magical power of a place or object. When Ronald Reagan was president his wife consulted an astrologer to insure that his decisions were backed by the correct alliance of stars. So even political decisions and national leaders can be influenced by believing in the supernatural and we have to live with the consequences of these decisions,” says Dr. Kagan.

Continuing, “Children who have parents that are led by supernatural beliefs also have to suffer the consequences of their beliefs like faith healing rather than seeking medical help.” Since its release, the book has garnered a consistent string of rave reviews. For example, one reader commented that, “Dr. Herman Kagan provides dozens, maybe dozens of dozens, of fascinating examples as he explores the many ways in which human's ability to develop symbolic meaning has a direct effect on our lives. While he is careful to give examples on where this can go awry, he reaches the conclusion that our ability to deal with our experience in a symbolic way gives us a toughness, a survivability, that is well worth the possible downsides.”

With the book’s popularity increasing, interested readers are urged to purchase their copies as soon as possible.

‘Faith, Supernatural Beliefs and Our Symbolic Brain’ is available now: HYPERLINK "http://amzn.to/16xEaHL" http://amzn.to/16xEaHL

About the Author: Dr. Herman Kagan
The author is a retired clinical psychologist, licensed in California with a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona who practiced over thirty years in his specialty of childhood trauma. He has one other book published, The Psychological Immune System. His continued interest is in determining what is innate and what is learned in human behavior and why are humans so contradictory,