Neuropsychology of Religious Experience

James A. Van Slyke

Andrew Newberg

• University of Pennsylvania– Medical Doctor– Neuropsychologist/Neuroscientist

• Investigates neural correlates of religious experience– “Neurotheology”– Meditation, Prayer, Glossolalia

Cognitive Sciences and the Mind

• Neuropsychology of Religious Experiences– Brain images of Tibetan Buddhists and Franciscan

Nuns• Increased activity in frontal lobe and right parietal lobe

during meditation• Brain is quite active in a specialized way during religious

experience

Brain changes in response to meditation (Newberg et. al. 2009)

• Differences between long-term and short-term mediators at rest– Long-term mediators showed differences in brain

activity in several different areas (prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex and others)

– Greater asymmetry in thalamus• Causes?– Meditation may change brain activity over time– Certain brain architectures may lend itself to

meditative states

Meditation effects on Memory Loss (Newberg et. al. 2010)

• Subjects – Mild forms of memory impairment (Age = 52-77)

• 8 week meditation program• Increased brain activity in prefrontal, superior

frontal, parietal areas• Improvements in neuropsych testing– Verbal fluency– Logical memory

Ritual Effects on Anxiety (Anastasi & Newberg 2008)

• Subjects - 30 students from Catholic College– 12 students recited rosary– 18 students watched religious video

• Students who recited rosary showed significant decrease in anxiety

• Religious ritual practices may play important role in psychological well-being

Speaking in Tongues and Brain activity (Newberg et. al. 2006)

• Speaking in tongues (glossolalia) demonstrates increases brain activity in frontal lobes, parietal lobes, and left caudate