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Mar 13, 2009 05:35 PM | 29
Jesus has been "found" in tree bark, windows and even Cheetos, but now researchers have been able to map where he—or at least religion—pops up in the brain.
Scientists report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA this week that they pinpointed where in the brain different types of religious thoughts originate. According to the study, religious musings occur in a variety of regions, confirming previous research showing there is no single "God Spot" in the brain from whence all spiritual thoughts emerge.
Study co-author Jordan Grafman, a neuroscientist at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health, says that recalling a religious experience activates the same brain areas as more mundane musings, such as remembering, say, what you ate for lunch yesterday. And pondering God? Pretty much the same brain patterns as thinking about people you've never met such as historical figures or movie stars.
Grafman and his colleagues scanned the brains of 40 subjects (who described themselves as religious) while they were asked if they agreed with certain statements such as whether "God is forgiving" or "God is wrathful." Their findings: the thoughts activated areas such as the prefrontal cortex (involved in planning, social behavior and personality) and temporoparietal junction (believed to be involved in distinguishing between one's own and others desires and intentions) that are more advanced in humans than in other animals. Other primates have these brain structures, but it's still up for debate whether they have a similarly functioning temporoparietal junction, says Kalanit Grill-Spector, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Stanford University. The discovery supports the thinking that a cohesive notion of religion is unique to humans and that even our early ancestors were capable of such beliefs, Grafman says.
Critics have noted that the study is limited because it captures a "thinking" brain rather than one in the midst of a religious experience, Andrew Newberg, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Spirituality and the Mind, told the The New York Times. The research only examined the brains of people with traditional Western religious beliefs, but, Grafman says, he's looking for collaborators who can help test the findings in other cultures.
Image courtesy of Wolfgang Wildner via Flickr
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29 Comments
Add CommentWhat about if you were to ask someone about a friend, or a parent. How would that differ than to ask them about God? Some people think of God in terms of a personal relationship. Others think of him as existing, and being, but not personal.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere was nothing surprising or new in this study. It made a very interesting headline though. I do not know what I think of this kind of reporting.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisStop making the headlines which does not make any sense to me. Just remember, God is everywhere-in brain, in soul, in legs...in blood and he not only lives inside but also in objects, nature and environment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"To see God you need to see yourself being a God." -Mybheja
Thank you and God bless you all !
If "everywhere" means "nowhere" I agree with you kalwar.g!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm betting the same tests asking about Santa or the tooth fairy would have produced the same results.
Spirituality and god beliefs seems to be some kind evolutionary brain short circuit of one's ability to reason, making otherwise rational people unable to think clearly, but be likewise unable to notice the impairment. They are like the people who can't carry a tune but are convinced they can sing really well and can't understand why people wince when they belt out an awful song. Unfortunately for humanity, it is a widespread trait.
Live long and prosper.
God is so arbitrary. One person could think of God as an imaginary friend and another person could think of God as a helper monkey.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is obvious that "god thoughts" come from the same place as thoughts about imaginary friends. This science, coupled with historical evidence that images of god have always been influenced by culture should help us outgrow irrational religious beliefs that could end up having us all killed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is obvious that "god thoughts" come from the same place as thoughts about imaginary friends. This science, coupled with historical evidence that images of god have always been influenced by culture should help us outgrow irrational religious beliefs that could end up having us all killed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's unfortunate that they couldn't find a "god centre" in the brain, because then we could treat it like any other disease. Now it seems to be everywhere, more like cancer than VD, a lot tougher to eradicate. Still the best medicine is logic, reason, critical thought and the scientific method. Teach these concepts to children early before the church and the U.S. theocracy robs them of their inquiring minds.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis comment is almost laughable. Unfortunately, logic, reason, critical thought and the scientific method can only take us so far. In 1981, Stephan Hawking claimed physics would have a single equation that would explain life; no equation yet, and there hasn't been a single confirmed theory in physics since the Neutrino mass 28 years ago. Science isn't even marginally close to explaining everything about anything, and never will be. There is nothing wrong with believing in God; and anyone claiming that all theists are irrational is clearly displaying their own irrationality.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI await this headline: “fMRI revealed as giant Mood Ring! Millions of dollars and man-hours wasted!”
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhy the fascination with the brain? It is only a form of computer, a recording device for the mind which is separate from the brain. The mind and brain allow for intellectual intelligence. The ancients thought more highly of heart intelligence, the heart having as many or more neurons than the brain. Within the heart is a sacred space, an interval, also known as the Secret Chamber of the Heart Chakra. St Therese of Avila described it as the Interior Castle. Within that castle is a majestic cathedral and on the high altar of that cathedral of the heart burns a triune, threefold unfed flame of Power, Wisdom, and Love. The unfed flame in our heart is our seat of authority and sets us apart from all other parts of the creation. It is our direct connection first to the Higher Mind also known as the Christ Mind (let that mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus...the kingdom of God is within you). Through the mediatorship of the Christ Mind is our direct connection to the individualized presence of God (I Am That I Am) also called the I Am Presence and thus to the Most High God. The heart is not the center of emotion, the solar plexus chakra is. Chakras are to the spiritual body what organs are to the physical body. We were created in the image and likeness of our God and our God is a consuming fire. We are spirit sparks of the One Flame. Chakras are like step down transformers for high frequency spiritual energy so that the soul and the four lower bodies of man can be nourished. We do not live by bread alone. The four lower bodies are the etheric (memory), mental (mind), emotional (emotion, feelings), and physical. Quantum physics is beginning to explain the relationship of the spiritual to the physical. Beyond the atom there are no "particles" but wave lengths, frequencies, vibrations, oscillations of energy from spirit to matter and from matter to spirit. All of life is composed of the same Light,, Energy, and Consciousness of God and has Innate Intelligence. At the quantum level there is no time or space there is only Here and Now and there is only Unity, we are One. The intellect can never understand this, the brain can never contain this, it is only discerned though the heart. When this is accomplished by the individual then the prophecy of Jesus is fulfilled, these things that I do ye shall do and more because I go unto the Father ... to re-establish the connection to the Divine that we along ago broke due to our disobedience and defiance of God when we declared ourselves unworthy to be God in manifestation
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisnice article
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis reminds me of all the headlines about fifteen years ago, about a series of researchers who each discovered the site controlling addictions to various things: narcotics, cocaine, cigarettes, etc...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt turned out that they all found the same site.
Once again, I believe the editors of this site need to be called on the carpet for misleading their readers.
Does the so called God Center different in anatomical location from areas of the brain involved in any sort of cognitive function? If not, what does it prove?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe title makes a great claim while in reality they pointed to the area of thinking. Thinking about God or a glass of beer is the same process. They could have gone further to check the brain of someone in deep trance like meditation. But that would activate the area of the brain responsible for non-verbal consciousness. There is nothing like a God point in the brain, nor a God in reality.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSomeone inquired to the great Indian philosopher, J. Krishnamurti, whether we were the creation of God. He replied: Its the other way around. God is our creation and not that we are his creation. I wish we were, then we would have been different!
Those interested to explore more about brain processes in emotional intelligence or meditation may visit these webpage:-
http://rewiringthebrain.net/
http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=39251
The title makes a great claim while in reality they pointed to the area of thinking. Thinking about God or a glass of beer is the same process. They could have gone further to check the brain of someone in deep trance –like meditation. But that would activate the area of the brain responsible for non-verbal consciousness. There is nothing like a God point in the brain, nor a God in reality.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSomeone inquired to the great Indian philosopher, J. Krishnamurti, whether we were the creation of God. He replied: It’s the other way around. God is our creation and not that we are his creation. I wish we were, then we would have been different!
Those interested to explore more about brain processes in emotional intelligence or meditation may visit these webpage:-
http://rewiringthebrain.net/
http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=39251
I think science only thinks in finite terms and God as a whole is infinity. You cannot comprehend it by experimentation, individual or to a phenomenon.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEinstein aptly quotes about science as "Scientific endeavor is a natural whole the parts of which mutually support one another in a way which, to be sure, no one can anticipate".
Also he says about the human place in the universe
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
I think science only thinks in finite terms and God as a whole is infinity. You cannot comprehend it by experimentation, individual or to a phenomenon.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEinstein aptly quotes about science as "Scientific endeavor is a natural whole the parts of which mutually support one another in a way which, to be sure, no one can anticipate".
Also he says about the human place in the universe
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
Hot off the presses at Scientific American: fMRI revealed as giant Mood Ring! Millions of dollars and man-hours wasted!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAmen to your comment robert schmidt
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAmen to your comment, robert schmidt
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGod created our biology, so of course knowing God has a biological basis. But it's not like God isn't living among us. He goes under many names. Hirohito, Akihito, etc., etc,. So just worship the Emperor of Japan and your life will be better. Your hugs will be stronger and your kisses much longer, plus you'll most likely run into a lot of money. Peace. God bless.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis article doesn't mean anything. Of course it's in the prefrontal cortex. Would they expect it to appear in the temporal lobe?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisReaders might be interested in articles at www.cosmic-mindreach.com. A new approach to delineating the structural dynamics of the cosmic order is introduced that encompasses all possible structural varieties to phenomenal experience. It offers a new methodology that complements traditional approaches to the physical, biological and social sciences. The website article Unified Theories, Fantasy & Cosmic Order is a good introduction.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe methodology was explicitly demonstrated in a profound series of cosmic (spiritual?) insights over a period of many years. The first of them came when I was in a key management position with a Canadian natural gas utility company and probing deeply into the roots of organization structure as a result of a hostile company takeover. I was not religious. That first experience is described in the website article A Cosmic Insight. The insights were not capricious. They related to demonstrating specific aspects of how the cosmic order works in response to my quest and they stopped coming when I had a clear and accurate grasp of the concepts after many years. Except for the first five days of the first experience they all transcended my physical person. They did not arise organically from within me. Organical feedback to consciousness was suspended. They were clearly cosmic in nature, transcending my birth and my death. Although they did not arise organically a number of them used my nervous system to show how it works.
There are a couple of advanced articles on the website that apply the methodology to demonstrate how the human nervous system meaning fully integrates experience synapse by synapse. The article Human Nervous System Part 1 shows how this works at the spinal level. Part 2 shows how spinal, proprioceptive, vestibular and other sensory inputs are meaningfull integrated with cerebral function by the Cerebellum synapse by synapse.
Readers may find the website interesting. It shows how aspects of personal experience can transcend and subsume the physical universe in some circumstances.
Best regards,
Robert Campbell
Saying that science has to explain everything before it becomes irrational to believe in God is just a permanent silly excuse for continuing to believe in superstitions.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust because we don't have ALL the answers doesn't justify making up some sky fairy that fills in the gaps so you can feel comfortable with everything explained.
There is a lot wrong with believing in God, since that very act is an active denial of reason. You can pretend the two can co-exist, but they can't. You have to actually choose to SELECTIVELY be reasonable if you want to do both, which is just silly. The fact that lots of people do it, doesn't make it a good thing for humanity, just a popular one.
"There is a lot wrong with believing in God, since that very act is an active denial of reason."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisReally? There's a lot wrong with believing in God? Like what? And how is it an active denial of reason?
There will remain no real significant difference in a religious experience perceived as true or divine and in the artistic act of creating, but only from the latter is it possible to 'sail' through the synesthetic 'mood ring' via the psyche's conditioning to it's genetic code, medium and its surroundings; painting, music, literature, etc... Modern science is all so laughable when you think of how Leonardo unraveled his Mind and search for truth... By observing others one observes only the self, by observing the self one observes others...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is time to ask why god. We are potentially the most destructive creature ever existed on earth. I could not imagine the dinosaurs having the same cognition as us. Probably the earth is a living entity in its own self. Maybe it is built in itself the program to preserved itself. Maybe all within it are guided to preserved it. While the dinosaurs existed for millions of years, the human species may only last a few hundred thousand years. And in that short span of time we are the most capable ever to destroy earth. Thats the reason why god??!!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is time to ask why god. We are potentially the most destructive creature ever existed on earth. I could not imagine the dinosaurs having the same cognition as us. Probably the earth is a living entity in its own self. Maybe it is built in itself the program to preserved itself. Maybe all within it are guided to preserved it. While the dinosaurs existed for millions of years, the human species may only last a few hundred thousand years. And in that short span of time we are the most capable ever to destroy earth. Thats the reason why god??!!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this