The often uneasy coexistence of science and religion in the western world is not replicated in Nowapan. As best as can be determined, Nowans have never practiced any religion nor held any belief in the supernatural. They recognize no gods, spirits, souls, saints, prophets, afterlifes or miracles. When confronted by new experience or the unexplained, the typical Nowan response is one of deep curiosity.

Philosophy
Philosophy (ngir.d�.po) fills many of the roles that religion fills in Homo sapiens' lives. Whereas few HS could answer (in other than a flippant manner) a casual inquiry as to the school of philosophy they adhere to, most could probably identify their religion. Nowans, having no religious beliefs, might have difficulty even defining the term "religion", but almost all Nowans know which school of philosophy (ngir.lo.lan) they follow.

Philosophy in Nowapan has always had a pragmatic bent. For example, no school of thought wastes time with semantic games questioning existence when it is self evident that the universe does exist. Rather, they deal with the best manner in which to live, whether in terms of morality, or personal happiness and fulfillment. It is common for spouses to share a common philosophy but not unknown for one or more spouses to have differing beliefs. Children are expected to choose their own philosophy as they reach adulthood and many change philosophies as they go through life. It recognized that there is no one best ngir.lo.lan and in the end, each individual must find the one that is most comfortable.

Each ngir.lo.lan has a body of works that explore and explain the implications of the choices associated with it. It is recognized that as lifestyles and cultures change, so to must a ngir.lo.lan lest it become obsolete. Writings come and go out of fashion and there is never a sense that a given work is a 'received text' and will always be central to the ngir.lo.lan. Individuals are perfectly free to emphasize certain aspects, ignore others, and misunderstand many.

D�.xhu Strong Life

Live boldly but wisely, is the core concept of d�.xhu. Followers of d�.xhu believe that life is a struggle and to achieve happiness and well-being, a person must be ready to struggle and strive.

Kol.q'a Harmonious Existence (Praxis Buddhism)

Kol.q'a is the oldest continously surviving ngir.lo.lan, tracing its origins to 857 AD when the first Buddhist monks arrived from Asia. It strongly resembles Buddhism stripped of its supernatural elements. Gone are the concepts of Karma, Dharma, and reincarnation, at least in their literal sense. The core principles that remain center around living peacefully, letting go of desires, and treating others with respect and kindness.

Han.d� Pleasant Life

A hedonistic school of thought. It encourages the pursuit of pleasure as the key to happiness and fulfillment. Most followers are careful to draw the line between harmless pleasure-seeking and that which is self-destructive. It must also be noted, pleasure is broadly defined. Westerners, when first hearing of this school seem to assume the worse, imagining the worst debaucheries. It is more common to find people pursuing their hobbies and interests.

Y�.po Discover Knowledge

Y�.po encourages the seeking of knowledge as the key to understanding the world and finding one's niche in it. This is the school which most closely approximates pure science and the western scientific method. It encourages rationalism and unbiased analysis although not to the point of attempting to discard emotions.

Yil.kel.y�r Natural Intuitive Condition

This school emphasizes leading a 'natural' life. Eat when hungry, sleep when tired. Let the body, the mind, intuition, and the condition of the world dictate correct behavior.

Science
The seeking of knowledge is a natural part of the HI psychological makeup. Free of any body claiming ultimate knowledge or imposing tabus on research, Nowan science and its precursors, have made up the vast headstart of HS and in recent years have begun to surpass them. As noted above, Nowans react to the unknown with curiosity and strong feelings of "How...?, Why...?" The intellectual predecessor to the college trained scientist of today was the xo.tt�l, usually referred to as "Curiousmen". These so-called shamans were instrumental in many of the early discoveries Nowans made about the world around them. Like their fellow HI's, Curiousmen never invoked miracles or a mysterious, unseen, unknowable force to explain the not yet explained, they were content, when they had exhausted their efforts, to leave something as not yet understood, a problem for another day.

Religion in Nowapan
Religion (hor.wim), as it is practiced in the HS world, is all but unknown. Nowan scientists discovered several decades ago, that intense religious experience occurs in the same part of the brain as certain forms of epilepsy (also a HI malady). The handful of Nowans that have embraced r eligions were formerly treated as mentally ill. The way in which their communities reacted varied with the local customs and the severity of the affliction. In recent years a number of new drugs have become available which effectively treat "Religion Disease" (m�r.hor.wim) which has also lessened the stigma attached to the condition. It should, perhaps be noted, that the drugs have no similar effect on HS.
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© 2001 Brad Coon

Revised August 29, 2001

URL:www.geocities.com/nowapan