In a previous article, we have looked into the (macroevolutionary) Snake Detection Theory (SDT). We have derived microevolutionary consequences mediated by (graphic) culture from its dossier, then, we have extended these theoretical consequences by taking into account a larger informational basis, particularly composed from studies on amygdala and Pavlovian conditioning. We concluded there that parts of the human species, now culturally dominant, has been heading towards self-destruction for millennia. This refers precisely to an escalating addiction towards light associated with (fragmented) angular and polylinear patterns less and less relevant in themselves, yet nevertheless imbuing light with more power of attraction. This increasing crave for almost “pure” light may also be figuratively and socially translated as an increasing intolerance towards secrecy coupled with resistance to change. Here, we take our version of the SDT, weigh it again in view of some recent findings, and analyse its constituents, to understand how this new theory can be subjected to crucial experiments. Verification of its socially most relevant claims require not only finer tools, though. Multi-modal approaches to correct potential errors of the proposed theory are imperious. Yet, at the present moment, there is also the priority of searching for the most subcortically sensible subjects towards graphic characters, to compensate for the limits of our technology. Given the seriousness of the claims, the necessity of cross-validation can’t be abolished even if subjects more suited for the tests than usual ones are found. Our conclusion is that, amidst current technical possibilities, illiterate people from (nearly) illiterate communities are the best subjects for certifying our claims at least partly.
Keywords: Amygdala, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Snake Detection Theory, Subcortical route, V2 area, V4 area
Abbreviations: ASD/ ASDs- Autism Spectrum Disorder/Autism Spectrum Disorders, MDT- Mobian Doppelganger Theory, SDT- Snake Detection Theory.