How did prehistoric people get on without the complex organized religions that require texts/scriptures?

I mean about 8,000 years ago or later, before there were any complex writing systems, there weren't any complex religions or stories, since they couldn't be written down or anything. My question is, how would they view the world in this context, and do you think they were more flexibile in their views of the world, since they could never record anything "in stone?"