Brain and myticism (Introduction)
by David Turell 
, Monday, February 22, 2016, 14:55 (3196 days ago)
Andrew Newberg, M.D. wrote two books about how religion and God affects the brain, published in 2001 an 2009. Now recent research looks at mysticism and mystical experiences:-http://www.livescience.com/53652-brain-origins-of-mysticism-found.html?cmpid=NL_LLM_weekly_2016-2-09-"During mystical experiences, people feel connected to a higher power and often describe gaining hidden knowledge or having revelatory insights. Although people around the world have reported mystical experiences, ranging from near-death experiences to ecstatic visions to meditative trances, these visions remain shrouded in mystery, with little neuroscience research to explain their underpinnings in the brain.-"Previous research suggested two broad camps of theories to explain the brain origins of mystical experiences, called "push" and "pull" theories, respectively.-"'Push theories argue that activation of a single 'God spot' causes mystical beliefs, suggesting that injuries to these spots would reduce mysticism," study co-author Joseph Bulbulia, a religious studies researcher at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, said in a statement. "In contrast, pull theories argue that the suppression of our inhibitory functions opens up the brain to mystical experiences. It is a hotly disputed topic, and we set out to clarify the debate."-***-"In their new study, the scientists analyzed 116 Vietnam War veterans who experienced brain damage and had mystical experiences, and compared them with 32 combat veterans without brain injuries or neurological disorders. All of the veterans took psychological tests before and after their conflicts. [Top 10 Controversial Psychiatric Disorders]-"'Often, the veterans said they heard the word of God, or had visions of their family," Grafman said. "Those are common mystical experiences."-***-"The researchers found that damage to the frontal and temporal lobes was linked with greater mystical experiences. Previous research found that the frontal lobes, located near the forehead, are linked to movement, problem solving, memory, language and judgment, among other functions. The temporal lobes, located near the bottom of the brain, are linked to the senses, language and memory.-"Further investigation revealed that damage to a specific area of the brain known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was linked to markedly increased mysticism. Previous research found that this brain region, located in the frontal lobes, is key to imposing inhibitions.-"'The frontal lobes are the most evolved areas of the human brain, and help control and make sense of the perceptual input we get from the world," Grafman said. "When the frontal lobes' inhibitory functions are suppressed, a door of perception can open, increasing the chances of mystical experiences."-***-"The findings also suggest that activity in the temporal lobes can generate mystical experiences, the researchers said. However, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex appears to have a critical role in interpreting and modifying these phenomena, the scientists said.-"The researchers suggested that when the brain's inhibitory functions are suppressed and then people undergo an experience without a direct explanation, the brain might then settle for supernatural explanations."-Comment: The researchers suggestion is no proof of exactly how the brain experiences mysticism. Newberg's studies are worth reviewing.
Brain and myticism; report from a symposium
by David Turell , Wednesday, December 18, 2019, 22:11 (1800 days ago) @ David Turell
At Esalen from a participant:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/can-mysticism-help-us-solve-the-mind-b...
"The mind-body problem--which encompasses consciousness, free will and the meaning of life--concerns who we really are. Are we matter, which just happens to give rise to mind? Or could mind be the basis of reality, as many sages have insisted?
***
"I’ve been obsessed with mysticism since I was a kid. As defined by William James in The Varieties of Religious Experience, mystical experiences are breaches in your ordinary life, during which you encounter absolute reality--or, if you prefer, God. You believe, you know, you are seeing things the way they really are. These experiences are usually brief, lasting only minutes or hours. They can be triggered by trauma, prayer, meditation or drugs, or they may strike you out of the blue.
***
"Many scholars have tried constructing metaphysical systems out of mystical visions. They often focus on insights that share certain features, notably a sense of oneness with all things, plus feelings of love and bliss. Those fortunate enough to have these experiences often come away convinced that a loving God or spirit underlies everything, and there is no death, only transformation.
***
"Mystics often insist that mind, not matter, is the fundamental stuff of reality, or that mind and matter are two aspects of an underlying ur-stuff. This non-materialist outlook, I think it’s fair to say, was the majority view at Esalen, and it has become increasingly popular among prominent mind-body theorists, such as Christof Koch and David Chalmers.
***
"Yes, some scientific materialists are insufferably arrogant. They claim they can explain everything, and yet they cannot account for consciousness, the origin of the universe or the origin of life. But materialism serves as a sensible default position, especially given the spottiness of the evidence for astral projection and ghosts. Bodies can exist without minds, but we have no proof that minds can exist without bodies.
***
"Mystics often report feeling the connectedness, or oneness, of all things. Our sense of separation from the universe is an illusion, supposedly, as is our sense that reality consists of two different things, matter and mind. I have misgivings about oneness. Although I sometimes regret my alienation from the world, I cherish it too. Consciousness, it seems to me, requires separation, or duality, and so does love, the supreme emotion. (my bold)
***
"So there is something contradictory about trying to construct an explanatory system involving mysticism. My mystical experiences have reinforced my conviction—spelled out in my most recent book, Mind-Body Problems--that there can be no final, definitive solution to the question of who we really are.
"The more science investigates the origin of the cosmos, of life on earth and of our weird species, Homo sapiens, the more unlikely we seem. There is no reason for us to be here, and yet here we are. (my bold)
***
"Esalen was an exceptional experience, a mystical trip. Being there made me recall a comment by physicist Steven Weinberg, a hard-core atheist and materialist: “I have to admit that sometimes nature seems more beautiful than strictly necessary.” Our world is filled with so much pain and injustice that I cannot believe in a loving God. This is the problem of evil. But the flip side of the problem of evil is the problem of beauty. Beauty, love and friendship--and our hard-won, halting moral progress--make it hard for me to believe that life is just an accident." (my bold)
Comment: The bolds fit my thoughts exactly: there seems to be no reason for us to be here, and life is not just an accident. He sounds a bit like NDE folks without mentioning them.
Brain and mysticism; report from a symposium
DAVID: At Esalen from a participant:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/can-mysticism-help-us-solve-the-mind-b...
QUOTES: "The mind-body problem--which encompasses consciousness, free will and the meaning of life--concerns who we really are. Are we matter, which just happens to give rise to mind? Or could mind be the basis of reality, as many sages have insisted?"
“….some scientific materialists are insufferably arrogant. They claim they can explain everything, and yet they cannot account for consciousness, the origin of the universe or the origin of life.”
“Beauty, love and friendship--and our hard-won, halting moral progress--make it hard for me to believe that life is just an accident." (David’s bold)
DAVID: The bolds fit my thoughts exactly: there seems to be no reason for us to be here, and life is not just an accident. He sounds a bit like NDE folks without mentioning them.
This is a direct refutation of the claim in the Pigliucci article that "nobody takes substance dualism seriously anymore". I’m also reminded of the following (edited quote from “The limitations of science”): "Science can only concern itself with the physical world as we know it […] and so by definition any belief in a non-physical world must be unscientific. But unscientific does not mean unreal or non-existent There are many things in our lives that transcend the physical world as we know it – love, art, music, beauty, premonitions and so on […] This is not to denigrate science. It is simply a denial of the right of science to exclude the possibility of phenomena outside its range.” (From An Agnostic’s Brief Guide to the Universe) Ah, the admirable impartiality of agnosticism!
Brain and mysticism; report from a symposium
by David Turell , Thursday, December 19, 2019, 15:32 (1800 days ago) @ dhw
DAVID: At Esalen from a participant:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/can-mysticism-help-us-solve-the-mind-b...QUOTES: "The mind-body problem--which encompasses consciousness, free will and the meaning of life--concerns who we really are. Are we matter, which just happens to give rise to mind? Or could mind be the basis of reality, as many sages have insisted?"
“….some scientific materialists are insufferably arrogant. They claim they can explain everything, and yet they cannot account for consciousness, the origin of the universe or the origin of life.”
“Beauty, love and friendship--and our hard-won, halting moral progress--make it hard for me to believe that life is just an accident." (David’s bold)
DAVID: The bolds fit my thoughts exactly: there seems to be no reason for us to be here, and life is not just an accident. He sounds a bit like NDE folks without mentioning them.
dhw: This is a direct refutation of the claim in the Pigliucci article that "nobody takes substance dualism seriously anymore". I’m also reminded of the following (edited quote from “The limitations of science”): "Science can only concern itself with the physical world as we know it […] and so by definition any belief in a non-physical world must be unscientific. But unscientific does not mean unreal or non-existent There are many things in our lives that transcend the physical world as we know it – love, art, music, beauty, premonitions and so on […] This is not to denigrate science. It is simply a denial of the right of science to exclude the possibility of phenomena outside its range.” (From An Agnostic’s Brief Guide to the Universe) Ah, the admirable impartiality of agnosticism!
I'm glad you enjoyed both articles. All opinion pieces have opinions.