Are+Ghost+Concepts+‘Intuitive’,+‘Endemic’+and+‘Innate’?

Boyer, Pascal. “Are Ghost Concepts ‘Intuitive’, ‘Endemic’ and ‘Innate’?” //Journal of Cognition and Culture// 3:3 (2003) : 233-243. Web. Pascal Boyer presents an analytical review of research conducted by Jesse Bering regarding what are termed **dead agent** **concepts**, also known as ghosts or spirits. Bering’s cultural research examines the dissemination of notions regarding dead agents within communities. Bering’s review of previous literature showed an absence of empirical research regarding individual’s thoughts on dead agents. Boyer highlights the significance of varying levels of influence that specific mental and neural system exhibit through agents that are not physically present. The article examines dead agents through three qualifying questions with opposing sides; whether they are “intuitive or counter-intuitive”, “endemic or epidemic” and “innate concepts or by-products”.

My research paper will examine the effect ghosts have on an individual’s psychology during the process of grief, and how cultural influence might shape the development of this psychopathology. These interviews conducted by Jesse Bering and reviewed by Pascal Boyer offer a unique psychoanalytical perspective on a sociological study into the culture of ghosts, termed dead agents in this paper. Mitchell Tracy