Literal Interpretation as Subconscious Thought Process

In response to Carissa Keith’s most recent blog post referring to the article on conceptual blending.

In our class discussion, we talked about conceptual blending in terms of relating Biblical stories and concepts, but Carissa Keith, in her most recent blog, brings up an interesting point. Carissa’s main point from her blog is that if conceptual blending does occur subconsciously, then individual beliefs will be acknowledged as fact rather than as analogy. I agree with this point and would like to further it by relating it to modern day issues. I believe that many people tend to interpret their personal religious beliefs as complete truth rather than for their abstract value. If it occurs so naturally in human nature to blend together the personal beliefs with the analogies that explain them, it is understandable that many people do just this. The majority of religious followers understand that the basis of religion in general is to structure moral guidelines and to give a sense of community and higher being (all somewhat abstract); however, there are many who feel that religion needs to be taken absolutely literally, and this specific brain activity helps explain this.

The article by Augustine discusses when and how to interpret the Bible literally or figuratively. I feel that conceptual blending relates to this concept as well because some individuals are subconsciously interpreting their personal religious beliefs as concrete fact, while others take the Biblical stories for what they represent. Many Evangelical Christian groups or ultra conservative are religious groups that interpret the Bible as absolute truth, but It has never been discussed that this instinct to interpret literally is a brain function that only some people can separate. I think it is interesting that an action, such as reading and personally interpreting, could be a subconscious brain action.