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The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience

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The Physics of the Mind and Brain Disorders

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Cognitive and Neural Systems ((SSCNS,volume 11))

Abstract

Until the late eighteenth century, religions, particularly in the West, were defined by their sacred texts and dogmatic formulations. Friedrich Schleiermacher, in the late eighteenth century, was one of the first scholars that attempted to define “religion” by switching from a doctrinal emphasis to a more cognitive, visceral, or intuitive one. Schleiermacher defined religion as a “feeling of absolute dependence.” Since his day most attempts at a general definition of religion have relied heavily on emphasizing the intuitive, emotional, or visceral elements rather than the doctrinal ones. This shift has important implications for bringing a neuroscientific approach to the study of religion. However, this also results in a neuroscientific approach to both religious and non-religious spirituality and spiritual experiences. In fact, as the definitions have evolved, the distinction between spirituality and religiousness has become much more complicated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital, 925 Chestnut Street, Suite 120, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA

    Andrew Newberg

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  1. Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Ioan Opris

  2. Greenville Health System, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA

    Manuel F. Casanova

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Newberg, A. (2017). The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience. In: Opris, I., Casanova, M.F. (eds) The Physics of the Mind and Brain Disorders. Springer Series in Cognitive and Neural Systems, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29674-6_29

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