Neuroscience of Religion and Atheism - DIS - Study …... 3 Neuroscience of Religion and Atheism l...

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1 Neuroscience of Religion and Atheism l DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia Related Majors: Religion, Neuroscience, Psychology

Neuroscience of Religion and Atheism

Semester: Spring 2017

Copenhagen

Credits: 3

Day: Tuesdays

Time: 14:50-17:45

Classroom: V10-D14

Major Disciplines: Neuroscience, Psychology, Religious Studies

Course Information and Purpose 1. Instructor Information:

Maria Serban, PhD PhD in Philosophy (University of East Anglia UK 2014) and MA in Philosophy and Cognitive Science (Ecole

Normale Superieure de Lyon, France 2010). Postdoctoral research at the Center for Philosophy of Science

Pittsburgh (2014), at the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, LSE London (2015), and at the

University of Copenhagen (2016-2018). Research focuses on explanation in cognitive neuroscience and

cognitive psychology, computational modelling in systems biology and neuroscience and the ethical implications

of translational medicine.

Psychology Program Director: Carla Caetano, Ph.D.

DIS Contact: Psychology Program Assistant: Kate Giddens Email: [email protected] Phone: +45 33 76 57 64

2. Course Description Prerequisites: A course in psychology at the university level.

The course offers a biological and neuro-cognitive psychological approach to explore and debate what

neuroscience, psychology, and related fields reveal about the brain’s role in spiritual experiences, religiosity and

atheism. Main topics include in-depth discussions of the nature of the field of neurotheology; health benefits and

risks related to being or not being religious; functional neuroanatomy, neurocognition and neurochemistry of

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religious and spiritual experience; neurochemistry correlated with spiritual experiences, mystical states and

religiosity across the lifespan with respect to neuro-cognitive factors.

3. Objectives Students in this class will: By the end of this course you will gain insight into the complexity of researching religion, spirituality, and atheism

from a neuroscientific perspective. You will be informed about some of the most relevant debates and research

directions currently being pursued pertaining to the exploration of the “religious” brain. We explore evolutionary

arguments for and against religion, we discuss studies that explore religion and spirituality in the brain and the

“where”, “how” and “what” of neurotheology. You will also gain some understanding into atheism – for example,

why are some people atheist and what factors influence whether someone might become spiritual or not? You

will also have the opportunity to think of an exciting research question, to explore this topic in depth and to come

up with your own experimental paradigm.

Course Components

1. Required Texts Canvas:

● Peer-reviewed articles and other readings for each class can be found on Canvas. See syllabus and

individual class dates for references.

2. Approach to Teaching The most important component of this course is student participation and discussion. It is thought, that the

students should guide the learning directions that this course takes and the facilitator will moderate and provoke

thought and discussion. There will be numerous in-class exercises designed to engage students in their own

learning experience. Lecture format will be used in order to highlight very important concepts related to the

readings and to give extra guidance for discussion and assignment purposes. We will have many engaging

articles to read and whenever possible, selected videos will be used as well.

3. Field Studies ● Date/Time: Wednesday, March 29th 13.00-17.00

Location: The National Gallery of Denmark Topic: Sacred art in a secular context

● Date/Time: Wednesday, May 3rd 8.30-12.30

Location: Brahma Kumaris, Vodroffsvej 9b, 1900 Frederiksberg C

Topic: A spiritual meditation exploration. Discussion of the relation between mind, intellect and the subconscious and the opportunity to experience focused meditation

4. Guest Lectures 1. Uffe Schødt, Associate Professor in School of Culture and Society - Department of the Study of

Religion

Date: March 7th Topic: Ways of looking at the religious brain

2. Kamilla Lange, Clinical Psychologist and Mindfulness Instructor


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Date: May 11th Topic: Meditation, spirituality and neuroscience

5. Expectations of the Students This course emphasizes collaborative learning. This involves in-class group activities and frequent discussion

among peers punctuated by mini-lectures from the instructors for context and direction. The goal of learning

collaboratively is to develop skills for how to extend the knowledge acquired during class. You should come to

class with (electronic or hardcopy) access to the assigned reading and you should expect to use and refer to the

reading during class time. Students will keep a journal throughout the course where they respond to questions

related to the readings. All students are expected to contribute their thoughts every day. Participation in class

discussions is integral to a rich learning experience and an enjoyable class. You will be graded on the quality of

your participation and the depth of your comments and insight as well as the thoughtfulness of your questions. If

differences of opinion arise then students are expected to debate openly, but respectfully. Equal contributions of

all group members to any group work is expected.

6. Class Representatives Each semester DIS looks for class representatives to become an official spokesperson for their class group,

addressing any concerns that may arise (in academic or related matters), suggesting improvements and coming

up with new ideas. Class representatives are a great way for DIS faculty to ensure better and timelier feedback

on their courses, assessments and teaching styles, and as such perform an invaluable role in connecting

student needs with faculty instruction during term time. Class Representatives will be elected in class at the

beginning of the semester.

Assignments and Evaluation

Assignment How evaluated Due Date Percentage

of grade

Participation and Attendance Individual Ongoing 10%

Journal Entries Individual Ongoing 15%

Classroom Activities Group Ongoing 10%

Methods Class: Poster

Presentation Group February 21st 15%

Field Study Assignment (Museum or Panel Debate)

Individual April 12th 10%

Debate Class Individual or

group May 2nd 20%

Final Exam Individual TBA 20%

Total 100%


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Participation & Attendance: 10% The heart of this class is driven by student participation. The primary character of the class will be exploration of

ideas, idea generation, inquiry and discussion. Students must bring to class an inquisitive mind, a willingness to

share their thoughts, ideas and questions. Grades will be deducted when readings have not been completed and

when participatory efforts are lacking. Please see participation rubric on canvas for specifics. Unexcused and

frequent absenteeism will result in a loss of grade. Using laptops and cellphones in class for anything but class

work will also result in loss of grade.

Journal Entries: 15% In order to ensure that readings have been done, to stimulate discussion and to clarify open questions, students

are expected to respond to directed questions related to the readings for 8 classes during the semester. Journal

entries are submitted on canvas and are to be around 500 words. The answer format should be short

arguments. Students should make clear how your position relates to the readings and what reasons support the

point(s) they are defending. Students are advised to choose one of the questions that can be found in the

syllabus below and on canvas. The “first day” journal entry is 1% of your final grade, and all other journal entries

are worth 2%. Effort, insight, reflection and referring to outside sources as well as the reading itself will be taken

into consideration for the grade.

Sample of classroom learning activities: 10% ● Puzzle: each group explains or illustrates a different idea and then the results are discussed and

compared in the wider group

● Group Grid: each group extracts ideas from different parts of the lecture and then class shares findings

to complete grid

● Think-Pair-Share: individuals work in small groups of specific tasks and then they communicate results,

difficulties or questions to the class to improve their answers

● Interview: pairs interview each other for response to specific questions or to summarize responses

● Conceptual maps: students work in small groups to design creative conceptual maps that illustrate their

understanding of the ideas presented in class or introduced in the assigned readings, incorporating also

their own questions about the links between the notions introduced, the conclusions of the arguments,

etc. The maps will be discussed with the rest of the class.

Methods Class: 15% Due: February 21st (9 am) For this class we will simulate a poster session at a conference. The conference is on methods used in the study

of neuroscience of religion and atheism. Small groups will present to their peers on their assigned empirical

method and its uses. We encourage the presenters to rely also on the material (papers and course material)

presented during the class. Preparation will include group work outside of class to develop the poster as well as

guidance from the lecturers. During the poster session, the other "research teams" will pose questions about the

merits and methodological problems of their method and how it can be used to study our topic best. Both the

presentation and the questioning skills will be taken into consideration for the assessment of this task. Please

refer to the assignment description and grading rubric for further information (on canvas).


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Field Study Assignments: 10% The students can choose to do one of the following essay assignments (both due at the same date)

1. Museum Essay

Due: April 12th Art is created, at least in part, to trigger a response in the perceiver. This subjective response is often a complex

emotional one. Religion has been an inspiration for many artists throughout time and into the present day. Works

of art have also been used as instruments of spiritual attunement; however secular experiences of sacred art

involve different modes of appreciation from the spiritual: technical, historical, and aesthetic. At the National

Museum, we ask you to reflect on: 1) How aesthetic experiences evoked by art might influence and shape

religious beliefs and emotions? 2) Are the emotions triggered by paintings of sacred art different from the

emotions triggered by other paintings?, 3) How can one, in the absence of faith, find sacred art relevant or

gripping? 4) Does the context in which sacred art is displayed (museums, galleries) disrupt their function as tools

for meditation? and 5) What do these considerations imply for the study of the neurobiological study of religious

emotions? For your paper, chose two paintings (one painting with a religious or spiritual theme, the other

without) you have viewed in the National Museum (be sure to take a photograph of each and reference it in your

paper). Using one of the suggested questions, write a 2-4 page paper about how visual representations

influence the transmission of religious ideas and beliefs within a religious and a secular context. You are

encouraged to use 1-3 peer-reviewed references to back up your views. For more details see the Assignment

page on Canvas under the relevant heading.

2. Panel Debate Paper

Due: April 12th The humanities and the natural sciences offer very different perspectives on religious phenomena. The panel

debate examines whether these views are complementary or in tension with each other. The panel debate will

include presentations from DIS and external scholars illustrating different ways in which religion is approached in

different disciplines as an object of investigation. What aspects of religious phenomena can be studied within a

broad cognitive scientific perspective? How can historical and anthropological studies be integrated with a

broadly biological perspective on human beings? Is religion unique to the human species? What are the

psychological capacities involved in religious behaviour? Use the panel debate as a launchpad to explore the

answer to one of these questions. You are encouraged to ask questions during the panel debate but also to use

additional references in structuring your essay. Your paper should be no longer than 4 pages and be clearly

related to one of the questions discussed in the panel. For more details see the Assignment page on Canvas

under the relevant heading.

Debate Class: 20% Due: May 2nd The lecturers will present the rules of a debate session and will provide a list of topics that the debate teams can

choose from. There will also be a “practice” debate during which students will be given feedback both on their

arguments and debate style but also on procedural rules. This session will be organized before the session that

will be graded. (For more information see “Assignments” on Canvas.)


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Final Exam: 20% Date: Tuesday May 9th Time: 9:00 - 11:00 There will be a final exam based on the readings and class discussion. It will be a combination of short and long

answer questions. There will be a review and more information as the semester progresses.

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.

Policies Attendance: You are expected to attend all DIS classes when scheduled. If you miss a class for any reason,

please contact the faculty no later than the day of the missed class. If you miss multiple classes the Director of

Teaching and Learning, and the Director of Student Affairs will be notified and they will follow-up with you to

make sure that all is well. Absences will jeopardize your grade and your standing at DIS. Allowances will be

made in cases of illness, but in the case of multiple absences you will need to provide a doctor’s note.

Academic Honesty, Plagiarism, and Violating the Rules of an Assignment: DIS expects that students abide

by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own

work and credit all work or thought taken from others. Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of

“F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request

that written student assignments be turned in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection

software. See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

Policy on Late Papers: Late papers will not be accepted.

Policy for Students Who Arrive Late to Class: Life happens and we are all late now and then. If a student is

consistently late or disruptive when arriving to class then this will affect their participation grade.

Use of Laptops or Phones in Class: Computers and iPhones are allowed in class PURELY for note taking

purposes. In case of other uses such as Facebook, emails or internet surfing, it will have a negative impact on

your participation grade. Cell phones are to be shut off during class and texting/SMS'ing etc. during class will

have a negative impact on your participation grade.

Disability and Resource Statement: Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a

disability should contact the Office of Academic Support ([email protected]) to coordinate this. In order to

receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first

two weeks of classes.



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Course Schedule

Tuesday, January 24

Class 1-2

Setting the Stage: Scandinavia, definitions and the meaning of religion for the

brain. Welcome!

Today’s class: ● Using Canvas with this course

● Present the cognitive science of religion as a multidisciplinary empirical field and

discuss the relationship between neuroscientific studies, cognitive, evolutionary

and developmental studies of religion.

● Introduce the course themes

● Answer questions about assignments and expectations

● Explore the cultural differences between Scandinavia and the US concerning the

spread and attitude towards religion

Required readings: ● Zuckerman, P. 2009. Why are Danes and Swedes so irreligious? Nordic Journal

of Religion and Society 22(I) : 55-69.

● Beit-Hallahmi, B. 2007. Atheists. A psychological profile. The Cambridge

Companion to Atheism, pp. 300-317.

Recommended readings: ● Smart, J. J. C., Atheism and Agnosticism, The Stanford Encyclopedia of

Philosophy (Summer 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =

<https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2016/entries/atheism-agnosticism/>

● Gould, S. J. Nonoverlapping Magisteria

<http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_noma.html/>

Questions discussed in class: ● Can we define religion and spirituality?

● Is there such a thing as religion?

● How to understand atheism cross-culturally? Is atheism non-religious?

Journal Entry “First Day”:

In light of your readings, discuss one of the following question topics. Your answer

should be cca 300 up to 500 words long:


https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2016/entries/atheism-agnosticism/

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● Why is it important to study the psychology of religious behaviour and belief?

How does the psychological study of religion differ from religious studies?

● What is the object of a psychological study of religion? Does it differ from the

object of a neuroscientific study?

● What are the main hypotheses used for explaining the differences in religiosity

between different countries? Which argument do you find to be the strongest?

Why?

● What is the difference between atheism and agnosticism? Can you give concrete

examples to illustrate this difference?

Tuesday, January 31 Class 3-4

Evolutionary theories of religion

Today’s class ● Introduce the key concepts in evolutionary psychology

● Understand the structure of evolutionary arguments in psychology

● Discuss why the theory of evolution is relevant for the scientific study of religion

● Present adaptive and by-product theories of the evolution of religion and discuss

the difference between them

Required readings ● Sosis. R. 2009. The adaptationist-byproduct debate on the evolution of religion:

Five misunderstandings of the adaptationist program. Journal of Culture and

Cognition 9: 315-322.

Recommended readings ● Downes, Stephen M., Evolutionary Psychology, The Stanford Encyclopedia of

Philosophy (Summer 2014 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =

<https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2014/entries/evolutionary-psychology/>.

● Day, M. 2008. Godless savages and superstitious dogs: Charles Darwin,

imperial ethnography, and the problem of human uniqueness. Journal of the

History of Ideas 69 (1): 49-70.

Questions discussed in class ● What is evolutionary theory?

● Why is evolutionary theory relevant for the study of the psychological and neurobiological underpinnings of religion?

● How do adaptationist theories of religion differ from by-product theories of religion?

Journal entry: “Evolutionary Origins of Religion” In light of your readings, discuss one of the following question topics. Your answer

should be cca. 300 up to 500 words long:


https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2014/entries/evolutionary-psychology/

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● Identify two points on which adaptationist and by-product theories of religion differ. Why are these differences important for the scientific study of religion?

● Do other animals exhibit forms of religious organization and behaviour? Give examples to support your point.

● Are there characteristic (distinctive) features of religion? Give examples of beliefs, emotions, practices that make religion a special human characteristic.

Core Course Week

February 6 - 11 No Class

Tuesday, February 14

Class 5-6

Functional neuroanatomy of religious belief and disbelief

Today’s class ● Determine a general understanding of the functional neuroanatomy of the brain

● Discuss hypotheses about brain function that would be involved in religious and

spiritual experience and locate these areas in the brain.

Required readings: ● Semrud-Clikeman, M. et al. (2009). Child Neuropsychology. Assessment and

Interventions for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Functional Neuroanatomy.

Chapter 2. (focus on pages 35 – 44). Springer US

● Schjoedt, U. et al. (2009). Highly religious participants recruit areas of social

cognition in personal prayer. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 4(2),

199-207.

Recommended readings: ● Examples of tools for investigating the functional neuroanatomy of the brain:

○ http://fn.med.utoronto.ca/index.html,

○ http://www.atlasbrain.com/enx/atlas_main.html

○ https://quizlet.com/13885870/neuropsychology-flashcards-flash-cards/

Questions discussed in class: ● How do we map the brain?

● How can functional neuroanatomy help us explain psychological capacities and

behavior?

● Is there a specialized functional module for religion or is the whole brain

involved?

Journal Entry: ● No journal entry for today


http://fn.med.utoronto.ca/index.html

http://www.atlasbrain.com/enx/atlas_main.html

http://www.atlasbrain.com/enx/atlas_main.html

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Long Tour 1/ Break February 25-March 5

No Class

Tuesday, February 21

Class 7-8

Methods for the study of religious belief and disbelief

Today’s class: ● You will present a group poster on a particular neuroscientific method. There will

be short presentations of your posters as in the context of a conference where

you have to present your results and those of your team. Note: The lecturers will

provide timely guidance for your choice of poster topic and questions.

● The “conference” will be followed by a discussion of the main types of methods

used in the cognitive neuroscience of religion, their advantages, and limitations.

● Guidelines for understanding the Methods and Discussion sections of scientific

papers.

Assignment for class: ● Prior to class you will decide in small groups on which cognitive neuroscientific

method your group would like to work and you will ask for advice about

resources and applicability of methods in the study of religious cognition and

behaviour. More info on canvas.

Journal Entry: ● No journal entry for today


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Tuesday March 7

Classes 9-10

Guest Lecture: Uffe Schødt

Bridging the Gap: From the Cognitive Science to the Neuroscience of Religion

Today’s class: ● Explain the cognitive advantages that make religion appealing

● Compare cognitive and neuroscientific methods for studying religion

● Discuss the differences between studying religious rituals, beliefs, and emotions

Required readings: ● Schjoedt, Uffe (2009). The religious brain: A general introduction to the

experimental neuroscience of religion. Method and Theory in the Study of

Religion 21: 310–339.

● McCauley, R. & Cohen, E. 2010. Cognitive science and the naturalness of

religion. Philosophy Compass 5 (9): 779-792.

Recommended readings: ● Block, N. (2007). Consciousness, accessibility, and the mesh between

psychology and neuroscience. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 30: 481-498.

Questions discussed in class: ● What does integration mean in the context of the cognitive science of religion?

● What are the main experimental methods used to investigate the religious brain?

● Why the psychology and neuroscience of religion need each other?

Journal entry:



● What are the possible explanations of the cross-cultural recurrence and historical

persistence of religion?

● What altered states of consciousness are relevant for the study of religion?

● What is the key idea behind the “God Helmet”?

● How do cognitive scientists distinguish the cognitive and emotional elements of

religious experience? Are there different methodological challenges in studying

each of these elements?


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Tuesday, March 14

Classes 11-12

Developmental Approaches to Religion

Today’s class

● Discuss the differences between beliefs in supernatural agents and religious

beliefs and identify whether empirical studies privilege investigation of a

particular class of beliefs

● Explain the links between the theory of mind hypothesis and studies of religious

cognition in children

● Assess the evidence for the hypothesis that there are developmental stages in

the acquisition of religious cognition

Required readings: ● Lane, J.D. et al. (2015). Approaching an understanding of omniscience from the

preschool years to early adulthood. Developmental Psychology DOI:

10.1037/a0037715

Recommended readings: ● Bloom, Paul (2007). Religion is natural. Developmental science 10: 147–151

● Koenig, L. et al. (2008). Stability and change in religiousness during emerging

adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 44(2), 532-543.

Questions discussed in class: ● How do developmental psychologists investigate religious behaviour and belief?

● Are there specific developmental stages in religious cognition?

● How is the development of theory of mind studied in young children? What is its

link to religious development?

● Which neuroscientific methods could be applied to study the development of

religion?

Journal entry: “Developmental approaches” In light of your readings, discuss one of the following question topics. Your answer


● What is the difference between the Anthropomorphic and the Preparedness

Hypotheses discussed in the Lane et al. 2015 study?

● Explain in your own words the difference between the reality bias and theory of

mind. Which experiments are used to investigate these psychological capacities?

● Does the study support the idea that children are “intuitive theists”?

Long Tour 2 Break March 18-March 26

No Class


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Tuesday, March 28

Classes 13-14

The mystical brain Today’s class:

● Discuss how mystical experiences are measured in neuropsychological studies

● Compare two studies of mystical experiences

● Understand the link between religion and mystical experience

Required readings: ● Beauregard, M. & Paquette, V. 2006. Neural correlates of mystical experiences

in Carmelite nuns. Neuroscience Letters, 405, pgs 186-190

● Cristofori et al. 2015. Neural correlates of mystical experience.

Neuropsychologia. 80: 212- 220.

Recommended Readings: ● Hill, J. (2014). Finding God in a seizure: the link between temporal lobe epilepsy

and mysticism.

● Blanke O. and Castillo V. (2007). Clinical neuroimaging in epileptic patients with

autoscopic hallucinations and out-of-body experiences. Epileptologie, 24, 90-95

Questions discussed in class: ● Can empirical studies identify a neurobiological marker for the mystical

experience?

● What are the main methodological limitations and challenges of studying the

neural basis of mystical experience?

● What are the neural networks thought to be involved in mystical experiences?

Journal Entry: “Mystical Brain”



● What is the Frontal Inhibition Hypothesis?

● How does temporal lobe epilepsy inform the neurobiological study of mystical

experience?

● What are the main features of mystical experience and how are they measured

in neuropsychological studies?

Field Study Wednesday, March 29

13:00-17:00 Location: National Gallery of Denmark

Topic: Sacred art in a secular context Objective: Explore the role of visual representations within and outside religious contexts


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Tuesday, April 4

Class 15-16

Religion and Psychedelic Therapy

Today’s class ● Analyze the contributions that psychopharmacology can make to our

understanding of the neural basis of religious cognition

● Understand the neural basis for the therapeutic effect of psychedelic treatments

● Discuss the link between psychedelic experiences and mystical experiences

Required readings:

● Griffiths, R. R. et al. 2008. Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin

mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months

later. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 22(6), 621-632.

Recommended readings: ● Liechti et al. 2016. Alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences

after acute LSD in humans. Psychopharmacology. DOI 10.1007/s00213-016-

4453-0

Questions discussed in class: ● What is the relationship between psilocybin and serotonin?

● What do we know about neural activity under hallucinogens?

● How is mystical experience related to psychedelic induced experience and to the

treatment of depression?

Journal Entry: “Religion and Psychedelics”



● What are the main sensory and emotional effects of psychedelic drugs? What do

we know about the neural mechanisms underpinning these effects?

● Are there any relevant differences between psilocybin induced experiences and

LSD induced experience? What is their link to mystical experience?

● What are the main challenges facing psychedelic assisted treatments of mental

disorders? What seem to be their benefits or advantages?

Panel discussion: Cognitive Science meets Religious Studies Evening Event

April 5 17.30-19.00

Topic: Humanistic and scientific perspectives on religion -- Complementary or clashing? Objective: Debate different views on the relations between science and religion


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Tuesday, April 11

Class 17-18

Guest Lecturer Kamilla Lange

Meditation, Mindfulness and Spirituality

Today’s class ● Discuss different types of meditation practices

● Explore the link between meditation and religious experience

● Identify different types of non-religious spirituality that are involved in meditation

practices

Required readings

● Esch, T. 2013. The neurobiology of meditation and mindfulness. Meditation:

Neuroscientific Approaches and Philosophical Implications. 153-173. Springer.

Recommended readings:

● Rubia, K. 2009. The neurobiology of meditation and its clinical effectiveness in

psychiatric disorders. Biological Philosophy 82 (1): 1-11.

● Zeidan, et al. 2012. Mindfulness meditation-related pain relief: evidence for

unique brain mechanisms in the regulation of pain. Neuroscienc Letters 520 (2):

165-173.

Questions discussed in class:

● What are the psychological functions of meditation practices in religion?

● Can meditation practices be non-religious?

● Are there specific neural signatures of meditation practices?

● What are the therapeutic benefits of meditation? How do they differ across types of meditation practices?

Journal Entry: “Meditation” In light of your readings, discuss one of the following question topics. Your answer


● When and how meditation intervene with religious experience and well-being? ● Are there types of non-religious spirituality one can identify with meditation

practices? How can one pin down the distinction? ● How have the specific neural signatures of meditation practices being

investigated so far? ● What are the main challenges facing the methods used to study the neurobiology

of meditation?

Travel Break April 12 – April 17

No Class


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Tuesday, April 18

Class 19-20

Spirituality and Atheism: Can we live without belief?

Today’s Class ● Discuss the meaning of “atheism” across different cultures

● Analyze the link between atheism and specific features of religious behaviour

and experience

● Present data about the psychological, social and political implications of atheism

● Discuss how different types of atheism are accounted by the evolutionary and

neurocognitive theories discussed in the course

Required readings: ● Singer, P. & M. Hauser 2016. Godless morality. In Ethics in the Real World.

Princeton University Press.

● Norenzayan, A. & Gervais, W.M. (2013). The origins of religious disbelief.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 17(1), 20-25.

Recommended readings:

● Massimo Pigliucci (2013). New Atheism and the Scientistic Turn in the Atheism

Movement. Midwest Studies in Philosophy 37 (1):142-153.

● McCauley, R. N. (2013). Explanatory Pluralism and the Cognitive Science of

Religion: Or Why Scholars in Religious Studies Should Stop Worrying about

Reductionism, Mental Culture: Towards a Cognitive Science of Religion. D.

Xyglatas and W. W. McCorkle, Jr. (eds.). London: Equinox.

Questions discussed in class: ● Can atheism satisfy the main social and psychological functions of religion?

● What is the relationship between morality and religion?

● Are evolutionary debunking argument fallacious?

Journal entry: “Atheism”



● How does the acquisition of atheist beliefs differs from the acquisition of

religious beliefs? Elaborate your answer in light of the cognitive theories

discussed in class.

● What are the main arguments for a “godless morality”?

● What are the main psychological functions of religion? How do they differ from

those of atheism?

● Does science (and in particular the cognitive neuroscience of religion) imply a

reductivist view of human nature?


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Tuesday, April 25

Class 21-22

Summary and Review of the semester Review for Final Exam Preparation for Debate Class

Journal Entry: no journal entry for today

Tuesday, May 2

Class 23

Debate Class Topic: How neuroscience can participate in debates about atheism?

Journal entry: no journal entry for today

Final Exam Week May 8-11 No Class

Final Exam Time: Tuesday, May 9th 9.00-11.00

Location: V10-D14

References:

A. Required Readings:

1. Beauregard, M. & Paquette, V. 2006. Neural correlates of mystical experiences in Carmelite

nuns. Neuroscience Letters, 405, pgs 186-190.

2. Beit-Hallahmi, B. 2007. Atheists. A psychological profile. The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, pp.

300-317.

3. Cristofori et al. 2015. Neural correlates of mystical experience. Neuropsychologia. 80: 212- 220.

4. Esch, T. 2013. The neurobiology of meditation and mindfulness. Meditation: Neuroscientific Approaches

and Philosophical Implications. 153-173. Springer.

5. Griffiths, R. R. et al. 2008. Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of

personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 22(6),

621-632.

6. Lane, J.D. et al. (2015). Approaching an understanding of omniscience from the preschool years to early

adulthood. Developmental Psychology DOI: 10.1037/a0037715

7. McCauley, R. & Cohen, E. 2010. Cognitive science and the naturalness of religion. Philosophy Compass

5 (9): 779-792.

8. Norenzayan, A. & Gervais, W.M. (2013). The origins of religious disbelief. Trends in Cognitive Sciences,

17(1), 20-25.


www.DISabroad.org


9. Schjoedt, U. et al. (2009). Highly religious participants recruit areas of social cognition in personal

prayer. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 4(2), 199-207.

10. Schjoedt, Uffe (2009). The religious brain: A general introduction to the experimental neuroscience of

religion. Method and Theory in the Study of Religion 21: 310–339.

11. Semrud-Clikeman, M. et al. (2009). Child Neuropsychology. Assessment and Interventions for

Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Functional Neuroanatomy. Chapter 2. (focus on pages 35 – 44).

Springer US.

12. Singer, P. & M. Hauser 2016. Godless morality. In Ethics in the Real World. Princeton University Press.

13. Sosis. R. 2009. The adaptationist-byproduct debate on the evolution of religion: Five misunderstandings

of the adaptationist program. Journal of Culture and Cognition 9: 315-322.

14. Zuckerman, P. 2009. Why are Danes and Swedes so irreligious? Nordic Journal of Religion and Society

22(I) : 55-69.

B. Recommended Readings:

1. Blanke O. and Castillo V. (2007). Clinical neuroimaging in epileptic patients with autoscopic

hallucinations and out-of-body experiences. Epileptologie, 24, 90-95

2. Block, N. (2007). Consciousness, accessibility, and the mesh between psychology and neuroscience. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 30: 481-498.

3. Bloom, Paul (2007). Religion is natural. Developmental science 10: 147–151

4. Day, M. 2008. Godless savages and superstitious dogs: Charles Darwin, imperial ethnography, and the

problem of human uniqueness. Journal of the History of Ideas 69 (1): 49-70.

5. Downes, Stephen M., Evolutionary Psychology, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer

2014 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =

<https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2014/entries/evolutionary-psychology/>.

6. Gould, S. J. Nonoverlapping Magisteria <http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_noma.html/>

7. Hill, J. (2014). Finding God in a seizure: the link between temporal lobe epilepsy and mysticism.

8. Koenig, L. et al. (2008). Stability and change in religiousness during emerging adulthood. Developmental

Psychology, 44(2), 532-543.

9. Liechti et al. 2016. Alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences after acute LSD in

humans. Psychopharmacology. DOI 10.1007/s00213-016-4453-0

10. Massimo Pigliucci (2013). New Atheism and the Scientistic Turn in the Atheism Movement. Midwest

Studies in Philosophy 37 (1):142-153.

11. McCauley, R. N. (2013). Explanatory Pluralism and the Cognitive Science of Religion: Or Why Scholars

in Religious Studies Should Stop Worrying about Reductionism, Mental Culture: Towards a Cognitive

Science of Religion. D. Xyglatas and W. W. McCorkle, Jr. (eds.). London: Equinox.

12. Rubia, K. 2009. The neurobiology of meditation and its clinical effectiveness in psychiatric disorders.

Biological Philosophy 82 (1): 1-11.

13. Smart, J. J. C., Atheism and Agnosticism, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2016

Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2016/entries/atheism-

agnosticism/>

14. Zeidan, et al. 2012. Mindfulness meditation-related pain relief: evidence for unique brain mechanisms in

the regulation of pain. Neuroscienc Letters 520 (2): 165-173.


https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2014/entries/evolutionary-psychology/

http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_noma.html/



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