A new theory explores how humans assign meaning to physical objects
Headline and summary by local AI
A researcher proposes a new psychological construct called adṛśyaniveśana to explain how humans assign deep significance to physical objects.
This concept, inspired by the Sanskrit term śraddhā and the Bhagavadgītā, describes trans-empirical investment. It occurs when people place meaning beyond the immediate physical reality onto an object, such as a stone or a flag, which then governs their behavior. The author distinguishes this process from mere religious faith or personal attitudes.
The framework suggests that humans treat both religious and secular objects similarly by making them symbols of shared values. The researcher outlines a plan to test if this specific capacity is a uniquely human trait by comparing it against the behaviors of non-human species. The article introduces the Adṛśyaniveśana Index as a provisional tool to measure this investment. The author specifies five criteria to define the construct, excluding common behaviors like following ordinary norms or handling money.
No empirical data were collected for this study, as it serves as a proposal for a future research programme.
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