(1995). "Apes, Angels, and Virtual Reality: A Theory of the Origin of Homo Sapiens"

(1995). Apes, Angels, and Virtual Reality

A Theory of the Origin of Homo Sapiens

Publication Info: 

Thompson, Richard. "Apes, Angels, and Virtual Reality: A Theory of the Origin of Homo Sapiens."  Alachua, FL: Bhaktivedanta Institute, 1995.

Abstract: 

Today, most scientists try to explain the origin of Homo sapiens by the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution, even though this theory suffers from several well-known problems. The ancient astronaut theory is a popular alternative account of human origins that avoids some of these problems. But this theory also runs into serious difficulties.

We can trace the drawbacks of neo-Darwinism and the ancient astronaut theory to our conception of the laws of nature. By enlarging our understanding of these laws, we can open the way to a new theoretical perspective. This leads to a modified form of the ancient astronaut theory which I present in the concluding sections of this paper.

The new theory is based on the application of certain key principles of computer science to nature as a whole. Computer science is a highly reductionistic field, but it turns out that it can help us understand many phenomena that are generally rejected by scientists as physically impossible. These include the supernatural phenomena connected with mystical beings in ancient religious texts. By combining insights from computer science with ancient and contemporary evidence for the existence of paranormal phenomena and mystical beings, we can build the conceptual and empirical basis for a new theory of human origins.

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