Cognitive vs Stimulus-response

Peoples' minds function at a cognitive level or a stimulus-response level. Very few attain the cognitive level. That's where the conscience and soul are activated. Jesus attained that level, as did Mohammed, Confucius and Buddha. Those people can see through the haze of dust, the confusion of chaos, and the maze of deception. The rest fall for the same scams again and again with no moral rudder to guide them. Jesus said 12 X 12 X 1,000 people would follow him into the promised land. Sure some scribe or pope added "and millions more," but the 144,000 figure is correct. Why would anyone give a very specific number then an unlimited number? The Jews say there are 36 super righteous men at any one time that God listens to, like taking a poll. Mohammed spoke extensively about the struggle between the enlightened cognitive mind and the primitive mind. He called it Jihad. Later religious leaders corrupted Jihad to apply to struggles among the "pious" and reformers and outsiders. Primary to all the religions is the struggle within the self. When people of a religion form into a group, they are losing ground to their primitive instincts and surrendering the internal struggle.