Neuroscience and Religion

Sam Sehyuk Lee
(GENS4010)

Introduction

Search for the ultimate truth

Science and religion have always been important aspects of human society. While science has been attempting to find out natural laws of the Universe using scientific methods, religion has been attempting to find out what the creator, or creators, of the Universe might be like; what he, she or they might prefer and might not prefer. Although science and religion have different perspectives, different ways of approaching problems and events, it might be safe to assume that science and religion share the same goal. They are both keen on answering the big questions: where did we come from, what is our purpose of being here, and where is our ultimate destination.

Neuroscience in an attempt to explain Religion

Neuroscience is defined as the study of the animal nervous system including the brain, which controls the nervous system. In spite of any reservations they may have, neuroscientists have lately been attempting to explain religion and religious activities from a scientific point of view. This is brought about by recent neuro-scientific studies that have launched controversy and are thus drawing huge attention. This essay will explore recent neuro-scientific findings about religious activities, examine the implications that the findings have on religion, and finally discuss about what the future holds for neuroscience and religion.

Recent neuro-scientific findings associated with religious activities

God-spot of the brain

As a result of the modern development of brain imaging technology, it is now possible to figure out the function of many areas of the brain through their respective neural activity. Recent studies uncovered a particular area of the brain that is associated with intense religious experience (Floyd, 2002). The study, led by a distinguished neurologist, Vilayanur Ramachandran, suggests that patients suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) have intense religious experiences during seizures due to “an over-stimulation of the nerves in a part of the brain called God module” (Connor, 1997).

Ramachandran explains that a brain assesses the emotional significance of a raw sensory perception, which in turn determines the intensity of a reaction and hence prepares the body for the situation (Flody, 2002). When TLE patients have seizures, their neural connections become temporarily strengthened. This increases the emotional significance of the raw sensory perception and therefore induces an excessively heightened reaction in patients. The study points out that the degree of how religious a person is could correlate to the extent of how this part of the brain is enhanced; implying that the staunchness of a religious person can be innate rather than cultivated (Hotz, 1997).

Meditation and prayer from neuro-scientific perspective

What is going through one’s brain when one is having a spiritual experience? Dr. Andrew Newberg has attempted to find an answer to this question using SPECT, the latest brain imaging technology (Farrenkopf, 2001). He examined the brain activity of experienced Buddhist–meditators when they were in meditation. Images of their brain were taken, both in the normal state and at the peak of meditation, so that they can be compared. Upon scrutinizing both images, Newberg found increased activity in the frontal lobe of the brain whereas the parietal lobe displayed decreased activity (Dunn, 2002).

The frontal lobe is known to be associated with attention. So if an individual is focused, his or her frontal lobe will be activated. On the other hand, the parietal lobe is known to be associated with orientation and ‘involved in a three-dimensional sense of self’ (Farrenkopf, 2001). As a result, in a situation where the frontal lobe is activated and the parietal lobe inactivated, the individual will enter a state of enhanced concentration and feel as if he or she is losing the sense of self.

The neuro-scientific explanation of the meditation process corresponds with the meditators’ descriptions of their experience. During meditation, they explain that they undergo a phase of ‘losing their sense of individual existence and feel inextricably bound with the universe’ (Farrenkopf, 2001). The meditators’ experience could probably be contributed to the decreased activity of the parietal lobe.

In another study, Newberg examined the state of Franciscan nuns’ brains when they were in prayer. He discovered that the brain activity of the praying nuns resembles the brain activity of the meditators. From this, it can be inferred that both prayer and meditation exert similar effects as far as neuroscience is concerned.

Visitor experience --- two sides of self

As current neuroscience advances, neuroscientists find scientific explanations for phenomena that were previously considered supernatural and scientifically implausible. Murphy (1999) explains how the brain can create the experience of God based on the work of his colleague, Michael Persinger. Murphy arguably defines the self as ‘what we experience when a specific pattern of brain activity is happening’. He states that we have two sense of self: left-sided sense and right-sided sense. Left-sided sense is viewed as the dominant one across a general population as it is linked to linguistics, involving language and other forms of expression. In contrast, the right-sided sense, which is silent and not associated to linguistics, is considered to be the more dormant of the two. However, occasionally, the right-sided self becomes so strong that the left-sided self can consciously experience the right-sided self. Such experiences, in which we sense a presence, are labelled by Murphy as ‘visitor experiences’. He argues that depending on intensity and which part of the brain the effect spills over into, the experience can be visual, olfactory, or vocal or even a combination. He also stated that ‘visitor experiences’ in most extreme cases are either encountered as bliss and ecstasy or terror and fear. According to his hypothesis, the experience of God or a demon can be an extreme example of the visitor experience.

God helmet: induced religious experience

To neurologists, religious experience is attributed to a particular neural activity; therefore it is not surprising that they can use a tool to induce religious experience within a person. Michael Persinger, a recognized neurologist, has invented a helmet that is able to induce mystical experiences by using electromagnets to stimulate the right temporal lobe (Hercz, 2002). More than a thousand volunteers have tried the helmet, and 80% of them are reported to experience a ‘tangible presence’. Hercz explains that stimulation of the right temporal lobe invokes right-sided self, which the dominant left-sided self perceives as another entity. The feeling eventually leads subjects to have religious experiences, such as the feeling of infinite possibilities and the sense that there must be something greater.

The relationship between religious activities and health

It has long been believed by skeptics that religious activities do not have any physical influence, though some recent neuro-scientific studies reveal that there is close correlation between religious activities and physical health. Fenwick (2003), in his article titled ‘The Neuroscience of Spirituality’, looks at the recent studies that showed positive impact of religious and spiritual practice on our physical body. He points out that the studies provided evidence to indicate that an active religious faith, positive relationships, and a positive way of thinking lead to an up-regulation of the immune system. That brings about changes in a number of stress-related hormonal systems, which, in turn, improve general health. Interestingly, intercessory prayer was also presented in his studies to be strikingly effective; that is, patients who were prayed for improved, suggesting ‘the possibility of direct effects of mind beyond the brain’.

Implications of findings

Different perspectives, different interpretations

Recent neuro-scientific findings have been interpreted from several different perspectives. The interpretations can be classified into three categories: evolutionary or materialist interpretation; a religious interpretation; and a neutral interpretation.

Materialist interpretation --- evolution by natural selection

A handful of scientists use recent neuro-scientific findings to reduce God to a manifestation of brain activity. Murphy (1999) mentioned that, considering that one can perceive extreme visitor experience as an encounter with supernatural beings, there is no God separate from the believer while there can be such a thing as godliness. Persinger, Murphy’s research colleague, argues that religiousness is the result of an adaptive strategy for human beings to ‘minimize the fear’ by believing in the ‘possibility of immortality’ (Hercz, 2002). Alper (2001), the author of the book The God Part of the Brain, emphasizes that we are genetically ‘hard-wired’ to being spiritual or religious. He argues in his website that, like any other kind of activities such as a linguistic activity, spirituality originates from some very specific area of our brain, and our brains have evolved over a long period of time to have the spirituality to help us deal with the frustration of inevitable death.

Religious interpretation --- an antenna planted by God

The neuro-scientific findings of late do not directly suggest or prove that God does not exist; therefore it can still be interpreted to support religious faith, be it Christian, Muslim or Hindu. Some church leaders claim that recent discoveries about the function of the temporal lobes is proof that God exists. God planted the antenna within the human brain in order to let human beings experience the presence of God (Floyd, 2002). It would not be unreasonable for Christians to conclude that recent neurophysiologic findings are just ‘a material reflection of God’s plan for our lives’ to allow us to understand spiritual reality (Hall, 1998). Hall also pointed out that no scientific discovery of the material world is likely to change such a belief. More importantly however, recent findings, particularly the correlation of religious activities and health, can be used to reject the long-held misconception that spiritual experience is the result of emotional sickness and place some degree of scientific legitimacy on religious activities (Farrenkopf, 2001).

Ramachandran, a noted Indian-born neurophysiologist, suggested that recent neuro-scientific findings can be used to teach the ancient Hindu lesson of ‘maya’ or illusion (Hall, 1998). He pointed out that while the physical world is real enough, our sense of self might just be an illusion as self-consciousness is separating us from the ‘unfolding drama of the universe’. We will be pulled back into the drama when we die.

Neutral interpretation --- cautious approach

Many neuro-scientists adopt a neutral stance regarding recent findings. Ramachandran convincingly brought to light that if God exists, we will not be able to approach God scientifically because we cannot analyse spiritual experiences scientifically (Floyd, 2002). He reasons that, based on the fact that many animals do not possess colour vision does not necessarily imply that colour does not exist; hence we cannot conclude that God does not exist just because we have a neural mechanism for experiencing God. In the same way, to those involved in religions, the recent findings cannot be direct evidence of the existence of God either.

Newberg is also cautious about the implications of recent findings and points out that a materialistic view on the issue can lead to ‘a limited view of interpreting these issues’ (Dunn, 2002). He notes that although neuro-scientific studies can be helpful, they cannot be used to determine ‘the reality of the experience’. He argues that spiritual experiences cannot be dismissed as illusional and unreal, as they are perceived overwhelmingly as fundamentally real; to the extent where everyday experience seems secondary (Newberg, 2002). He also mentioned that spiritual experience cannot be regarded as ‘derivative from baseline reality’ as neuroscience cannot determine which state is more real than another.

Apart from a certain religion’s point of view, the recent neuro-scientific findings tend to negate religious superiority and point to the fact that every religion is equal. They all pursue a common goal of seeking God or spiritual reality. As mentioned earlier, Newberg finds that experienced Buddhist meditators and Franciscan nuns displayed virtually identical pattern of brain activity while they engage in meditation or prayer (Farrenkopf, 2001). Similar brain activities in different religious activities imply that one can have intense religious experience regardless of what religion one believes in. The only difference between spiritual experiences across religions is the way they describe the experience due to ‘theological subjectivity’, as each religion teaches different spiritual principles (Farrenkopf, 2001).

Conclusion

Towards the future of religion and science

The recent neuro-scientific findings associated with religious activity are highly essential in approaching the ultimate truth: where did we come from; what we are here for; and where our final destination is. However, to have a whole understanding about the Universe and human nature, Ramachandran says, it is very important not to ignore religious experience since it is an essential part of human nature (Floyd, 2002). Conversely, it is equally crucial not to ignore science and ensure that science is ‘not swallowed whole by theology’. In fact, encourage dialogue between science and religion rather than monologue (Hall, 1998). Newberg emphasizes the importance of being open to all means, whether it is science or religion, and integrate the various perspectives in order to find answers to the big questions (Dunn, 2002).

Religion gives us a different way of looking at the world. If one just looks at
science and ignores the rest of life, we miss an important part of reality. On
the other hand, if one only looks at the spiritual perspective and ignores what
science has to say, you miss some very important information. We have to be
open to all the means that we have to find answers to the big questions of life
--- the meaning of life and why we are here. We need to look at how to
integrate the various perspectives because they all provide a different view
and supply information that is ultimately relevant.

Note: This article was adopted from a general education course assignment

References:

Alper, M. 2001, The God part of the brain: A scientific interpretation of human spirituality. [Online} Available: http://www.godpart.com/pages/premise.html [2004, October 15]

Connor, S. 1997, ‘God spot found in brain’, LA Times 29 October 1997

Dunn, J.R. 2002, ‘Brain science and God: The biological basis of belief: an interview with Andrew Newberg’, Psychology Online Journal vol 3. no 3.

Farrenkopf, C. 2002, This is your brain on God, [Online] Available: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web3/Farrenkopf.html [2004, October 15]

Fenwick, P. 2003, The neuroscience of spirituality. [Online] Available: http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/college/sig/spirit/publications/Peter%20Fenwick%201.11.0 3%20The%20Neuroscience%20of%20Spirituality.pdf [2004, October 16]

Floyd, C. 2002, The limbic fire: Neuroscience and the soul. [Online] Available: http://www.science-spirit.org/articles/Articledetail.cfm?article_ID=132 [2004, October 16]

Hall, N. A review of God and the temporal lobes of the brain. [Online] Available: http://www.godless.org/sci/ramachandran.html [2004, October 15]

Hercz, R. 2002, The God helmet. [Online] Available: http://www.geocities.com/satanicus_2/Godhelmet.html [2004, October 16]

Hotz, R.L. ‘Brain region may be linked to religion’, LA Times 29 October 1997

Murphy, T. 1999, How the brain creates the experience of God: An easy to read explanation of a controversial hypothesis. The god effect. [Online] Available: http://www.innerworlds.50megs.com/god.htm [2004, October 17]

Newberg, A. & D’Aquili, E. Wired for the ultimate reality: the neuropsychology of religious experience. [Online] Available: http://www.science-spirit.org/articles/Articledetail.cfm?article_ID=205 [2004, October 16]