Science Life NY

Is This Your Brain On God?

by on Aug.08, 2009, under Science Life

“More than half of adult Americans report they have had a spiritual experience that changed their lives. Now, scientists from universities like Harvard, Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins are using new technologies to analyze the brains of people who claim they have touched the spiritual — from Christians who speak in tongues to Buddhist monks to people who claim to have had near-death experiences. Hear what they have discovered in this controversial field, as the science of spirituality continues to evolve.”

I have to say that over the past few years i have become very interested in this topic. I started reading a few books on the melding of spirituality and science and have found myself a little out of touch with my readings until now, when this article re-sparked my interest in learning more about the topic. While not 100% related to this topic i find myself interested in the relationship between science and God. This really starts to get into a philosophical and religious debate and should probably be saved for another posting, but i just want to say: While most people separate god and science as opposite spectrum, I tend to believe that Science is directly related to God.

The brain is a powerful thing

In any event, the link below points you to an interactive guide to a 5 part series. You really have to explore each part, within each part is a link to the full article, as well as an excerpt from a book. It also features the audio from the 5 day special on the radio show “all things considered”

I’m quite interested to hear peoples opinions on the topic.

Interactive Guide

Part 1:
The God Chemical: Brain Chemistry And Mysticism

Part 2:
Are Spiritual Encounters All In Your Head?

Part 3:
Prayer May Reshape Your Brain … And Your Reality

Part 4:
Can Positive Thoughts Help Heal Another Person?

Part 5:
Decoding The Mystery Of Near-Death Experiences

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  • Facebook User

    Oh man, the inevitable science and spirituality debate. I have very strong feelings on the topic and they are actually the reasons I started science life. I want to explore my journey as an adult and an atheist and reconciling that with the respect I have for the traditions and culture I grew up in.

    I am not a fan of mixing the two institutions. My opinions on contradictory figures like Francis Collins and atrocities like the creation museum don't show the entirety on the topic though.

    It's a can of worms, ezra :) but as the firestorm over the book unscientific America shows, a very necessary can of worms.

  • JC

    Greg- I don't think this post has much to do w/ “mixing institutions.” Its rather more toward a scientific understanding of the events in the brain that occur when people have what they describe as religious experiences. This to me is something that can only aid communication between what people too often frame as “opposing camps.” Its reductionist thinking to call things like science and religion monolithic “institutions” that are somehow fundamentally opposed. As with most things its far more complicated than that.

  • Facebook User

    oh i know it's complicated; like i said, it's one of the reasons i started science life, because i wanted to figure out a way to talk about both topics. by “mixing”, i dont mean that they should be seen as two separate monolithic institutions. That was definitely the wrong word.

    I dont like how the two camps interact (mix), with pretty intense disdain for each other. thats why i mentioned the book unscientific america and francis collins, two current flashpoints btw the two camps.

    I should have used better wording.

    So, i dont know if this sort of thing would even aid communication with these two camps. the discourse is that poisonous right now.

  • JC

    Think of it this way- if self-proclaimed rationalists and science minded folk started recognizing the “religious experience” as a legitimate brain event and thought about the implications of that, maybe they would regard their “opponents” with less disdain?

  • Facebook User

    i agree with everything you are saying. i am making a cynical conclusion on if certain people would see it that way. for the more vocal parties in this debate (like a pz meyers) i don't see them being receptive to this either way.

  • JC

    Greg- I don't think this post has much to do w/ “mixing institutions.” Its rather more toward a scientific understanding of the events in the brain that occur when people have what they describe as religious experiences. This to me is something that can only aid communication between what people too often frame as “opposing camps.” Its reductionist thinking to call things like science and religion monolithic “institutions” that are somehow fundamentally opposed. As with most things its far more complicated than that.

  • Facebook User

    oh i know it's complicated; like i said, it's one of the reasons i started science life, because i wanted to figure out a way to talk about both topics. by “mixing”, i dont mean that they should be seen as two separate monolithic institutions. That was definitely the wrong word.

    I dont like how the two camps interact (mix), with pretty intense disdain for each other. thats why i mentioned the book unscientific america and francis collins, two current flashpoints btw the two camps.

    I should have used better wording.

    So, i dont know if this sort of thing would even aid communication with these two camps. the discourse is that poisonous right now.

  • JC

    Think of it this way- if self-proclaimed rationalists and science minded folk started recognizing the “religious experience” as a legitimate brain event and thought about the implications of that, maybe they would regard their “opponents” with less disdain?

  • Facebook User

    i agree with everything you are saying. i am making a cynical conclusion on if certain people would see it that way. for the more vocal parties in this debate (like a pz meyers) i don't see them being receptive to this either way.

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