Can we actually see God in the brain? Well, not exactly. But a few enterprising neuroscientists have found ways to detect and measure the varieties of our religious experience. Using brain scanning technology, researchers have been
able to pinpoint which parts of the brain are activated during prayer and meditation. While they can't answer the biggest question of all -- does God exist? --they are probing one of the deepest mysteries in science: the nature of consciousness.
You'll need to watch a short ad in order to have access to the rest of the article, but IMO it's worth it. (And yes....I know that Salon.com isn't an unbiased source of information. :) I don't agree with everything they publish on the topic of faith but I thought this article was fascinating.)
Was the human brain hardwired to be spiritual, as some claim?
How do we discern the difference between having a "God experience" and reacting to something that may be more biologically based?
How much attention should science give to the more subjective areas in life?
X-posted to my blog and The Ooze.
Labels: Culture
Hmm,
you said:How do we discern the difference between having a "God experience" and reacting to something that may be more biologically based?
Why does it have to be either/or, why not both/and? Could God have wired us for God experiences and use that for His purposes? Just because it is biologically based shouldn't necessarily bias us against it as a "real" experience - as though our "spiritual" sides and "biological" sides never coexist or supplement one another.