This is Your Brain on God: Spirituality, the Brain and Empathy
What is the relationship between our brain and our sense of spirituality? How is empathy connected to spirituality? What does research tell us about how we perceive something greater than ourselves? From prayer and meditation to fundamentalism, near death experiences and mysticism, we will explore some knowns about the unknown.
This recording with powerpoint visuals covers:
1. This is Your Brain on God
2. Research into God and the Brain
3. Prayer and Meditation
4. The Four Gods of America
5. Near Death Experiences
6. Mysticism
7. Time for Questions and Integration
After listening I was wondering about mysticism even more. I mean, our brain is filtering a lot of information. There are a lot of processes that are govering what becomes conscious. So, how would a spiritual or focused meditation help with uncovering unconscious information we’ve received? How can the left frontal cortex be active, without functioning as a critic? Is there anything we pick up or create out of the unknown or out of our already incorporated knowledge? Where do you allocate imagination in this context? The webinar brought up many more questions… well, thank you Sarah for lighting up my fire. This inspired me to read up on quantum philosophie again, I remember ulrich warnke mentioning some studies on the brain, if i find something worthwhile in there I will let you know. I can’t grasp the peer reviewed stuff in neuro anything, really 😉 but some might be highlighted here. Thank you so much again for all your work!!
Hello, Candy – thank you for your engagement with these questions!
1. So, how would a spiritual or focused meditation help with uncovering unconscious information we’ve received?
I don’t think it would, except by chance. Spiritual meditations tend to bypass unconscious information. If you are working directly with trauma memories and integrating spiriruality, , this work
would help uncover unconscious information. If you are interested in the trauma memory work, my book Your Resonant Self covers that work extensively.
2. How can the left frontal cortex be active, without functioning as a critic?
The left frontal cortex holds much of our executive decision making – the more warmly we hold ourselves, the less critical the left pfc is.
3. Is there anything we pick up or create out of the unknown or out of our already incorporated knowledge?
Yes, the more we are connected to our bodies, the more profoundly connected we are to our intuition.
4. Where do you allocate imagination in this context?
Imagination arises from brain integration and the healthy functioning of the default mode network.
5. Yes, please let me know if you find anything worthwhile !
Very warmly, Sarah