Speculation and guesswork it must be, of course, as our pre-literate ancestors had no means of leaving their thoughts to us.

However, given that human nature remains essentally unchanged from as far back as our knowledge stretches, and given that religion remains one of the major means for the smooth-tongued and amoral to live well without actually having to work, it does make sense.

Hunter-gatherers clinging to survival in a hostile environment will make time to work out how to make a better spear, sharper knife or more! effective digging tool. But they won't have time to sit around speculating about alternate reality - daydreaming gets you killed! Just like eating them funny mushrooms sends you doolally.

But there will always be those who feel entitled to everything but do not feel obliged to work for anything. I imagine thousands of them tried their luck with various scams, and suffered the consequences of failure, before they hit on one that worked!

So while I do not doubt that there have been many earnest seekers after truth over the millennia, I am inclined to think that they came after the scam arists and were in fact their victims.

It is sadly necessary, if one is to understand the truth of human achievement, endeavour and culture, to begin with the lowest possible opinion of human nature.