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
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