5 ms·

Is This Your Brain On God?

43 points by onreact-com 17y ago

Oompa 17y ago
Article sounds interesting, but I want an actual page of text, not a flash layout. Here's links to each of the articles for those like me: The God Chemical http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104240746 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1042407... The God Spot http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104291534 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1042915... Spiritual Virtuosos http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104310443 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1043104... The Biology of Belief http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104351710 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1043517... Near-Death Experiences http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104397005 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1043970...
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
- diiq 17y ago
  Indeed; It took me a good minute to figure out where the content was. It's worthwhile information, but does anyone else feel like this story get pulled back into the light once every two years or so? Telegraphically: "Overactive temporal lobe causes epileptic visions. NDEs. Meditation increases theta waves and drops parietal lobe activity. Is god real?" I'd love to learn what actual progress has been made in understanding why or how these things work, rather than just the bare correlations. I need to find a good peer-reviewed journal of, how did they put it, neurotheology?
Alex3917 17y ago
This is interesting research, but it's poorly described and honestly I doubt the NYT reporter even really understands it. A few errors also, for example: "the active ingredient in psilocybin" Should be the active ingredient in psilocybes (i.e. psilocybe mushrooms). Psilocybin is a chemical itself, so it doesn't even make sense to describe it as having active ingredients. (It gets broken down into psilocin by the body, which is what actually causes the effect.) If you want to see something on this that is actually kind of interesting, check out these YouTube videos that were made to promote The Spirit Molecule, a documentary about DMT: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+spirit+molecule&search_type=&aq=f http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+spirit+molec...
pmichaud 17y ago
I've often struggled with these notions, as they are brought up in the media in cycles. Our normal faculties are faulty and tenuous, so I don't see why other, less-used faculties should be discounted because they seem faulty or tenuous. Seems like an unfair double standard. One can suppose that there /must/ be an evolutionary advantage to have developed such senses, but maybe they are a by product of some other feature of the brain. I mean, early humans didn't need iPhones to figure out how to trap a boar, but it turns out that we use the same set of faculties to build both the trap and the iPhone.
randomwalker 17y ago
Roughly a year ago, over a period of a few months, I had a serious of "spiritual experiences" that utterly, utterly changed my life. Only one problem: I don't believe in the supernatural, so the "I found God" explanation obviously doesn't cut it for me. That left me with a deep need to learn what the hell happened in my brain. It appears that we have only recently begun to consider such questions as topics of legitimate scientific inquiry. The field still seems to attract whack job "scientists" who think people's brains can be connected by quantum entanglement (see part 4 of the article). There is a long way to go before I can have my answers. That's ok, I can wait :-)
- saurabh 17y ago
  Can you elaborate your "spiritual experiences". I would love to read about them. It's not often that you hear an atheist having an experience like that.
  - berntb 17y ago
    Who cares about the experiences, let us just hope it isn't some dangerous physical disease. If you want to see your god, use the classical way -- eat too little, suggestion ("prayer") and get some infected wounds from self flagellation. :-) Edit: I don't think atheists generally puts an experience like that in a religious context, but assumes it has something to do with brain functions (or that some strange mushroom got into lunch). Point is, you won't hear about these becaues atheists don't think they are religious. Edit 2: To the downvoters, if you RTFA it mentions a classical problem that gives religious experiences: epilepsy.
- callmeed 17y ago
  I had a serious of "spiritual experiences" that utterly, utterly changed my life ... I don't believe in the supernatural I'm curious, why were the experiences–while life-changing–not able to change your stance on the supernatural? Did they at least cause you to question that belief?
  - zach 17y ago
amichail 17y ago
Putting aside the question of whether God exists, why would it be surprising that an animal with a brain sophisticated enough to contemplate its own death would evolve protective mechanisms against that eventuality?
- jrockway 17y ago
  Perhaps, but religion is largely something that we came up with through thinking. When you need to control a bunch of slaves, it's nice to be able to say, "your life sucks now, but if you work really hard, there will be PRESENTS waiting for you when you die! YAY!! It's not me, your hated master, saying this; it's God! The creator of the whole Universe loves you if you work yourself to death. So get out there and do it." Very convincing story, and it mostly worked. (Religion plays on a number of human desires; wanting something more, wanting to fit in with everyone else, etc.) It still works today.
  - amichail 17y ago
    There's something dubious about my point: does excessive worry about death result in people having fewer children? Maybe the evolutionary pressure comes from telling people that God wants them to have children. And so those with biology favorable to belief in God would have more children.
  - ramoq 17y ago
    Having no spiritual beliefs/religion (aka atheism) satisfies human desires. Ex. Evolution has several flaws and can never be proven. Even scientifically it cannot be proven. It is purely the fruit of an individual's imagination, conviction and desire. Nothing more than this.
    - Locke1689 17y ago
      "Scientifically" nothing can be proven. Theories are simple suppositions (hypotheses) supported by evidence. When we have found an overwhelming body of evidence in support of a particular theory we consider that theory "proven." By this standard, we can consider evolution "proven." In essence, it would take a significantly large corpus of data to refute the theory of evolution.
amadiver 17y ago
I made a short film about this stuff a few years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWHd5cWjKC8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWHd5cWjKC8 ( With more robots and Gene Simmons than the npr link )
losethos 17y ago
God says... gladly foundations hairs mercifully delightfulness beguiled preferring cupboards herb judgest Run vital modification sovereign appearance warreth refresh Turn ability innumerably birth credulity gathers equal opinion pervious lineaments endurance fill pages discern stiff Arise hurting forsook scanning counsels vouchsafest young phantoms Disposer co toilsome Hear loathing standing Caesar sustenance shadows bathe unlawful sons four scroll approbation runs press novice corrected invisible relative Pay ascension bodily literature colouring bushel propound dashed justify reality justification cd brow interpretation currents am value yet dwelling balm mutual causes fired exterior behalf lineage DOMAIN selves Tell bottomless intimated withdraw aptly intermission abroad murdered waves distinguishing frenzied royalties traveller Mary Truly devil reside solemnities rapture shower prey gladly salvation inharmonious Teacher kind fully diluted ways walls unkindness dominion Offices girded senses preached reposed excursive inspiring honours sensation grantest READ ran traced Curiosity speaks saw oratory till give wax ignorant fleeting distraction All chanting using unformed up pursues removed receiveth informing sand consume overcoming distribution sick subsequently recovered husks helping sounded palaces shrink sigh noise surpassest precious defender Yes ordering immoderate Sudden wishing Virgin unformed concubinage gladdens Epaphroditus lacketh
losethos 17y ago
God also says... fishes Surely spent ruminating rejection Ask knowing fornications insult humility readable educated demanded enjoying upright Platonists richer stanzas supremely Gods END breaking moderate

43 points by onreact-com 17y ago

Oompa 17y ago

Article sounds interesting, but I want an actual page of text, not a flash layout. Here's links to each of the articles for those like me: The God Chemical http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104240746 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1042407... The God Spot http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104291534 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1042915... Spiritual Virtuosos http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104310443 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1043104... The Biology of Belief http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104351710 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1043517... Near-Death Experiences http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104397005 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1043970...

deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
diiq 17y ago
Indeed; It took me a good minute to figure out where the content was. It's worthwhile information, but does anyone else feel like this story get pulled back into the light once every two years or so? Telegraphically: "Overactive temporal lobe causes epileptic visions. NDEs. Meditation increases theta waves and drops parietal lobe activity. Is god real?" I'd love to learn what actual progress has been made in understanding why or how these things work, rather than just the bare correlations. I need to find a good peer-reviewed journal of, how did they put it, neurotheology?

Alex3917 17y ago

This is interesting research, but it's poorly described and honestly I doubt the NYT reporter even really understands it. A few errors also, for example: "the active ingredient in psilocybin" Should be the active ingredient in psilocybes (i.e. psilocybe mushrooms). Psilocybin is a chemical itself, so it doesn't even make sense to describe it as having active ingredients. (It gets broken down into psilocin by the body, which is what actually causes the effect.) If you want to see something on this that is actually kind of interesting, check out these YouTube videos that were made to promote The Spirit Molecule, a documentary about DMT: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+spirit+molecule&search_type=&aq=f http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+spirit+molec...

pmichaud 17y ago

I've often struggled with these notions, as they are brought up in the media in cycles. Our normal faculties are faulty and tenuous, so I don't see why other, less-used faculties should be discounted because they seem faulty or tenuous. Seems like an unfair double standard. One can suppose that there /must/ be an evolutionary advantage to have developed such senses, but maybe they are a by product of some other feature of the brain. I mean, early humans didn't need iPhones to figure out how to trap a boar, but it turns out that we use the same set of faculties to build both the trap and the iPhone.

randomwalker 17y ago

Roughly a year ago, over a period of a few months, I had a serious of "spiritual experiences" that utterly, utterly changed my life. Only one problem: I don't believe in the supernatural, so the "I found God" explanation obviously doesn't cut it for me. That left me with a deep need to learn what the hell happened in my brain. It appears that we have only recently begun to consider such questions as topics of legitimate scientific inquiry. The field still seems to attract whack job "scientists" who think people's brains can be connected by quantum entanglement (see part 4 of the article). There is a long way to go before I can have my answers. That's ok, I can wait :-)

saurabh 17y ago
Can you elaborate your "spiritual experiences". I would love to read about them. It's not often that you hear an atheist having an experience like that.
- berntb 17y ago
  Who cares about the experiences, let us just hope it isn't some dangerous physical disease. If you want to see your god, use the classical way -- eat too little, suggestion ("prayer") and get some infected wounds from self flagellation. :-) Edit: I don't think atheists generally puts an experience like that in a religious context, but assumes it has something to do with brain functions (or that some strange mushroom got into lunch). Point is, you won't hear about these becaues atheists don't think they are religious. Edit 2: To the downvoters, if you RTFA it mentions a classical problem that gives religious experiences: epilepsy.
callmeed 17y ago
I had a serious of "spiritual experiences" that utterly, utterly changed my life ... I don't believe in the supernatural I'm curious, why were the experiences–while life-changing–not able to change your stance on the supernatural? Did they at least cause you to question that belief?
- zach 17y ago

amichail 17y ago

Putting aside the question of whether God exists, why would it be surprising that an animal with a brain sophisticated enough to contemplate its own death would evolve protective mechanisms against that eventuality?

jrockway 17y ago
Perhaps, but religion is largely something that we came up with through thinking. When you need to control a bunch of slaves, it's nice to be able to say, "your life sucks now, but if you work really hard, there will be PRESENTS waiting for you when you die! YAY!! It's not me, your hated master, saying this; it's God! The creator of the whole Universe loves you if you work yourself to death. So get out there and do it." Very convincing story, and it mostly worked. (Religion plays on a number of human desires; wanting something more, wanting to fit in with everyone else, etc.) It still works today.
- amichail 17y ago
  There's something dubious about my point: does excessive worry about death result in people having fewer children? Maybe the evolutionary pressure comes from telling people that God wants them to have children. And so those with biology favorable to belief in God would have more children.
- ramoq 17y ago
  Having no spiritual beliefs/religion (aka atheism) satisfies human desires. Ex. Evolution has several flaws and can never be proven. Even scientifically it cannot be proven. It is purely the fruit of an individual's imagination, conviction and desire. Nothing more than this.
  - Locke1689 17y ago
    "Scientifically" nothing can be proven. Theories are simple suppositions (hypotheses) supported by evidence. When we have found an overwhelming body of evidence in support of a particular theory we consider that theory "proven." By this standard, we can consider evolution "proven." In essence, it would take a significantly large corpus of data to refute the theory of evolution.

amadiver 17y ago

I made a short film about this stuff a few years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWHd5cWjKC8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWHd5cWjKC8 ( With more robots and Gene Simmons than the npr link )

losethos 17y ago

God says... gladly foundations hairs mercifully delightfulness beguiled preferring cupboards herb judgest Run vital modification sovereign appearance warreth refresh Turn ability innumerably birth credulity gathers equal opinion pervious lineaments endurance fill pages discern stiff Arise hurting forsook scanning counsels vouchsafest young phantoms Disposer co toilsome Hear loathing standing Caesar sustenance shadows bathe unlawful sons four scroll approbation runs press novice corrected invisible relative Pay ascension bodily literature colouring bushel propound dashed justify reality justification cd brow interpretation currents am value yet dwelling balm mutual causes fired exterior behalf lineage DOMAIN selves Tell bottomless intimated withdraw aptly intermission abroad murdered waves distinguishing frenzied royalties traveller Mary Truly devil reside solemnities rapture shower prey gladly salvation inharmonious Teacher kind fully diluted ways walls unkindness dominion Offices girded senses preached reposed excursive inspiring honours sensation grantest READ ran traced Curiosity speaks saw oratory till give wax ignorant fleeting distraction All chanting using unformed up pursues removed receiveth informing sand consume overcoming distribution sick subsequently recovered husks helping sounded palaces shrink sigh noise surpassest precious defender Yes ordering immoderate Sudden wishing Virgin unformed concubinage gladdens Epaphroditus lacketh

losethos 17y ago

God also says... fishes Surely spent ruminating rejection Ask knowing fornications insult humility readable educated demanded enjoying upright Platonists richer stanzas supremely Gods END breaking moderate