Citation
Maselko, Joanna (2013). The Neurophysiology of Religious Experience.. Pargament, Kenneth I.; Exline, Julie J.; & Jones, James W. (Eds.) (pp. 205-220). Washington: American Psychological Association.
Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the current state of knowledge of the neuroscience of religion and religious experience. It also touches on what is known about physiological correlates of religious experience. The most elemental definition of the “neuroscience of religion and religious experience” is the study of what happens in the brain when someone engages in an activity or has an experience that is labeled religious or spiritual; it is the study of the neural underpinnings of these experiences. A main motivation for many scholars in this field has been to establish whether human beings are “wired for God.” This language has stirred considerable debate. The universality of religiosity across cultures suggests some innateness of the phenomena, and the obvious place that such innateness could be physically located is somewhere in the brain. Although the overall theme of this area of study has been to locate religious and spiritual experiences physically in the brain, there is enormous heterogeneity in approaches partly because of the diversity of these experiences as well as the relatively nascent nature of the field. Even though some researchers have focused on a single region of the brain (especially the studies of temporal lobe epilepsy), this strategy has been criticized by those who are pushing for a more complex approach to the brain than trying to identify a “god module” (Albright, 2000). In this context, two overarching approaches have emerged: The first has emphasized the mystical-type experiences, including states of deep meditation, and has explored the neural correlates of this type of experience. These studies usually report that quite specific brain regions are involved in these types of experiences. The second approach has focused on the more common religious behaviors and their perceived prosocial outcomes; the research from this perspective has proposed a different, and more varied, set of neural correlates. This chapter discusses both of these approaches.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/14045-011Reference Type
Book Section
Year Published
2013
Series Title
APA Handbooks in Psychology
Author(s)
Maselko, Joanna
ORCiD
Maselko - 0000-0002-6270-8237
