Books by Donald C Chivers

The reason religion plays such an influential part in our lives is because extinction would have ended our species if it were not for religion. It also gives us hope that our children donΓÇÖt actually die, but have gone to a far better place called heaven. Such a place had to have a God, and at the time, we had plenty. We are all, without exception, behaviorally programmed. We are all, to a greater or lesser degree, behaviorally manipulated. And we are all, to some extent, mind-poisoned and controlled by early suggestion and example. Extreme manipulation is called radicalization, which is an ancient, obsessive, and viral idea that has been given a name at last. For centuries it has taken possession of the mind of insecure youths who long for total acceptance. These misguided youths reject previous unsatisfactory programming because it hasnΓÇÖt fulfilled to their expectation of self-importance. There is a conscious dismissal of previous associations and a willingness to give of them to gain recognition and appreciation. This book attempts to understand the psychological motivations of ISIS and other movements in an evolutionary framework.