The view that shattering mysteries reduces their value is very much a result of religion trying to protect itself.
Yes, but this tendency to see warm fuzzies as depending on mystery is even deeper than religion. It’s a common anti-intellectual tendency. Take, for example, the idea that attempting to scientifically understand phenomena like romantic love will “spoil the mystery.”
In general, I’ve never seen understanding a phenomenon better get in the way of appreciating it. The only exception would be when you are trying to analytically figure out a phenomenon which requires you to be in a non-analytical mental state at the same time as you are trying to experience it.
I would hypothesize that the lauding of “mystery” rather than understanding is inversely related to certain traits such as need for cognition and openness to experience.
Yes, but this tendency to see warm fuzzies as depending on mystery is even deeper than religion. It’s a common anti-intellectual tendency. Take, for example, the idea that attempting to scientifically understand phenomena like romantic love will “spoil the mystery.”
In general, I’ve never seen understanding a phenomenon better get in the way of appreciating it. The only exception would be when you are trying to analytically figure out a phenomenon which requires you to be in a non-analytical mental state at the same time as you are trying to experience it.
I would hypothesize that the lauding of “mystery” rather than understanding is inversely related to certain traits such as need for cognition and openness to experience.