Where God and Science Meet Three Volumes 3 volumes : How Brain and Evolutionary Studies Alter Our Understanding of Religion (Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality)

Spiritual practices, or awakenings, have an impact on brain, mind and personality. These changes are being scientifically predicted and proven. For example, studies show Buddhist priests and Franciscan nuns at the peak of religious feelings show a functional change in the lobes of their brain. Similar processes have been found in people with epilepsy, which Hippocrates called the sacred disease. New research is showing that not only does a person's brain activity change in particular areas while that person is experiencing religious epiphany, but such events can be created for some people, even self-professed atheists, by stimulating various parts of the brain. In this far-reaching and novel set, experts from across the nation and around the world present evolutionary, neuroscientific, and psychological approaches to explaining and exploring religion, including the newest findings and evidence that have spurred the fledgling field of neurotheology.It is not the goal of neurotheology to prove or disprove the existence of God, but to understand the biology of spiritual experiences. Such experiences seem to exist outside time and space - caused by the brain for some reason losing its perception of a boundary between physical body and outside world - and could help explain other intangible events, such as altered states of consciousness, possessions, alien visitations, near-death experiences and out-of-body events. Understanding them - as well as how and why these abilities evolved in the brain - could also help us understand how religion contributes to survival of the human race. Eminent contributors to this set help us answer questions including: How does religion better our brain function? What is the difference between a religious person and a terrorist who kills in the name of religion? Is there one site or function in the brain necessary for religious experience? In This Far-reaching And Novel Work, Experts From Across The Nation And Around The World Present Evolutionary, Neuroscientific And Psychological Approaches To Explaining And Exploring Religion, Including The Newest Findings And Evidence That Have Spurred The Fledgling Field Of Neurotheology. Spiritual Practices, Or Awakenings, Have An Impact On Brain, Mind And Personality. These Changes Are Being Scientifically Predicted And Proven. For Example, Studies Show Buddhist Priests And Franciscan Nuns At The Peak Of Religious Feelings Show A Functional Change In The Lobes Of Their Brain. Similar Processes Have Been Found In People With Epilepsy, Which Hippocrates Called The Sacred Disease. New Research Is Showing That, Not Only Does A Person's Brain Activity Change In Particular Areas While That Person Is Experiencing Religion Epiphany, But That Such Events Can Be Created For Some People, Even Self-professed Atheists, By Stimulating Various Parts Of The Brain. It Is Not The Goal Of Neurotheology To Prove Or Disprove The Existence Of God, But To Understand The Biology Of Spiritual Experiences. Such Experiences Seem To Exist Outside Of Time And Space--caused By The Brain Losing Its Perception Of A Boundary Between Physical Body And Outside World. Understanding Why This Is The Case Could Help Explain Other Intangible Events, Such As Altered States Of Consciousness, Possession, Supposed Alien Visitations, Near-death Experiences And Out-of-body Events. Understanding How And Why These Abilities Evolved In The Brain Could Also Help Us Understand How Religion Contributes To The Survival Of The Human Race. V. 1. Evolution, Genes, And The Religious Brain -- V. 2. The Neurology Of Religious Experience -- V. 3. The Psychology Of Religious Experience. Contents Of V. 1: The Evolutionary Psychology Of Religion / Steven Pinker -- Sacred Emotions And Affective Neuroscience : Gratitude, Costly Signaling, And The Brain / Robert A. Emmons And Patrick Mcnamara -- Genetic And Environmental Influences On The Traditional Moral Values Triad--authoritarianism, Conservatism, And Religiousness--as Assessed By Quantitative Behavior Genetics Methods / Laura B. Koenig And Thomas J. Bouchard Jr. -- Religious Behaviors, Badges, And Bans : Signaling Theory And The Evolution Of Religion / Richard Sosis -- Nature's Medicine : Religiosity As An Adaptation For Health And Cooperation / Joseph Bulbulia -- The Cognitive Psychology Of Belief In The Supernatural / Jesse M. Bering -- The Ritual Healing Theory : Therapeutic Suggestion And The Origin Of Religion / James Mcclenon -- Religion Is Not An Adaptation / Lee A. Kirkpatrick -- The Cognitive And Evolutionary Roots Of Religion / Scott Atran -- Amazing Grace : Religion And The Evolution Of The Human Mind / Ilkka Pyysiäinen -- The Significance Of The Evolution Of Religious Belief And Behavior For Religious Studies And Theology / Wesley J. Wildman. Contents Of V. 2: The Chemistry Of Religiosity : Evidence From Patients With Parkinson's Disease / Patrick Mcnamara ... [et Al.] -- Religious And Spiritual Practices : A Neurochemical Perspective / Andrew B. Newberg -- Neuroimaging Studies Of Religious Experience : A Critical Review / Nina P. Azari -- Religion And The Life Course : Is Adolescence And Experience Expectant Period For Religious Transmission? / Candace S. Alcorta -- Neurotheology : A Science Of What? / Matthew Ratcliffe -- Religion As A By-product Of Evolved Psychology : The Case Of Attachment And Implications For Brain And Religion Research / Pehr Granquist -- Religious Conversion, Spiritual Transformation, And The Neurocognition Of Meaning Making / Raymond E. Paloutzian, Erica L. Swenson, And Patrick Mcnamara -- Religion And The Brain : Evidence From Temporal Lobe Epilepsy / Steven C. Schachter -- The Frontal Lobes And The Evolution Of Cooperation And Religion / Patrick Mcnamara -- Mind Design And The Capacity For Ritual Performance / Carl Seaquist -- The Brain, Religion, And Baseball : Comments On The Potential For A Neurology Of Religion And Religious Experience / Warren S. Brown. Contents Of V. 3: The Neuropharmacology Of Religious Experience : Hallucinogens And The Experience Of The Divine / David E. Nichols And Benjamin R. Chemel -- The Relationship Between Religion And Health / Andrew B. Newberg And Bruce Y. Lee -- Religion, Meaning, And The Brain / Crystal L. Park And Patrick Mcnamara -- The Darker Side Of Religion : Risk Factors For Poorer Health And Well-being / Gina Magyar-russell And Kenneth Pargament -- The Common Core Thesis In The Study Of Mysticism / Ralph W. Hood, Jr. -- Cross-cultural Assessments Of Shamanism As A Biogenetic Foundation For Religion / Michael Winkelman -- Schizophrenia, Neurology, And Religion : What Can Psychosis Teach Us About The Evolutionary Role Of Religion? / Steven A. Rogers And Raymond F. Paloutzian -- Between Yang And Yin And Heaven And Hell : Untangling The Complex Relationship Between Religion And Intolerance / Ian Hansen And Ara Norenzayan -- The Origins Of Dreaming / Kelly Bulkeley -- Chemical Input, Religious Output : Entheogens : A Pharmatheology Sampler / Thomas B. Roberts -- An Illusion Of The Future : Temptations And Possibilities / Keith G. Meador. Edited By Patrick Mcnamara. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Cover Page......Page 1 How to go to your page......Page 2 ISBN 0275987884......Page 6 Series Foreword by J. Harold Ellens......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 13 Preface by Patrick McNamara......Page 15 Volume 1 - Evolution, Genes, and the Religious Brain......Page 5 Contents: Volume 1 (with page links)......Page 7 CHAPTER 1 The Evolutionary Psychology of Religion......Page 21 CHAPTER 2 Sacred Emotions and Affective Neuroscience: Gratitude, Costly Signaling, and the Brain......Page 31 CHAPTER 3 Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Traditional Moral Values Triad-Authoritarianism, Conservatism, and Religiousness-as Assessed by Quantitative Behavior Genetic Methods......Page 51 CHAPTER 4 Religious Behaviors, Badges, and Bans: Signaling Theory and the Evolution of Religion......Page 81 CHAPTER 5 Nature’s Medicine: Religiosity as an Adaptation for Health and Cooperation......Page 107 CHAPTER 6 The Cognitive Psychology of Belief in the Supernatural......Page 143 CHAPTER 7 The Ritual Healing Theory: Therapeutic Suggestion and the Origin of Religion......Page 155 CHAPTER 8 Religion Is Not an Adaptation......Page 179 CHAPTER 9 The Cognitive and Evolutionary Roots of Religion......Page 201 CHAPTER 10 Amazing Grace: Religion and the Evolution of the Human Mind......Page 229 CHAPTER 11 The Significance of the Evolution of Religious Belief and Behavior for Religious Studies and Theology......Page 247 Index: Volume 1 (with page links)......Page 293 About the Editor and Contributors......Page 305 Volume 2 - The Neurology of Religious Experience......Page 317 Contents: Volume 2 (with page links)......Page 319 CHAPTER 1 The Chemistry of Religiosity: Evidence from Patients with Parkinson’s Disease......Page 333 CHAPTER 2 Religious and Spiritual Practices: A Neurochemical Perspective......Page 347 CHAPTER 3 Neuroimaging Studies of Religious Experience: A Critical Review......Page 365 CHAPTER 4 Religion and the Life Course: Is Adolescence an “Experience Expectant” Period for Religious Transmission?......Page 387 CHAPTER 5 Neurotheology: A Science of What?......Page 413 CHAPTER 6 Religion as a By-Product of Evolved Psychology: The Case of Attachment and Implications for Brain and Religion Research......Page 437 CHAPTER 7 Religious Conversion, Spiritual Transformation, and the Neurocognition of Meaning Making......Page 483 CHAPTER 8 Religion and the Brain: Evidence from Temporal Lobe Epilepsy......Page 503 CHAPTER 9 The Frontal Lobes and the Evolution of Cooperation and Religion......Page 521 CHAPTER 10 Mind Design and the Capacity for Ritual Performance......Page 537 CHAPTER 11 The Brain, Religion, and Baseball: Comments on the Potential for a Neurology of Religion and Religious Experience......Page 561 Index: Volume 2 (with page links)......Page 577 About the Editor and Contributors......Page 587 Volume 3 - The Psychology of Religious Experience......Page 599 Contents: Volume 3 (with page links)......Page 601 CHAPTER 1 The Neuropharmacology of Religious Experience: Hallucinogens and the Experience of the Divine......Page 615 CHAPTER 2 The Relationship between Religion and Health......Page 649 CHAPTER 3 Religion, Meaning, and the Brain......Page 681 CHAPTER 4 The Darker Side of Religion: Risk Factors for Poorer Health and Well-Being......Page 705 CHAPTER 5 The Common Core Thesis in the Study of Mysticism......Page 733 CHAPTER 6 Cross-Cultural Assessments of Shamanism as a Biogenetic Foundation for Religion......Page 753 CHAPTER 7 Schizophrenia, Neurology, and Religion: What Can Psychosis Teach Us about the Evolutionary Role of Religion?......Page 775 CHAPTER 8 Between Yang and Yin and Heaven and Hell: Untangling the Complex Relationship between Religion and Intolerance......Page 801 CHAPTER 9 The Origins of Dreaming......Page 827 CHAPTER 10 Chemical Input, Religious Output-Entheogens: A Pharmatheology Sampler......Page 849 CHAPTER 11 An Illusion of the Future: Temptations and Possibilities......Page 883 Index: Volume 3 (with page links)......Page 897 About the Editor and Contributors......Page 909 About the Advisory Board......Page 915 Spiritual practices, or awakenings, have an impact on brain, mind and personality. These changes are being scientifically predicted and proven. For example, studies show Buddhist priests and Franciscan nuns at the peak of religious feelings show a functional change in the lobes of their brain. Similar processes have been found in people with epilepsy, which Hippocrates called the sacred disease. New research is showing that not only does a person's brain activity change in particular areas while that person is experiencing religious epiphany, but such events can be created for some people, even self-professed atheists, by stimulating various parts of the brain. In this far-reaching and novel set, experts from across the nation and around the world present evolutionary, neuroscientific, and psychological approaches to explaining and exploring religion, including the newest findings and evidence that have spurred the fledgling field of neurotheology. It is not the goal of neurotheology to prove or disprove the existence of God, but to understand the biology of spiritual experiences. Such experiences seem to exist outside time and space - caused by the brain for some reason losing its perception of a boundary between physical body and outside world - and could help explain other intangible events, such as altered states of consciousness, possessions, alien visitations, near-death experiences and out-of-body events. Understanding them - as well as how and why these abilities evolved in the brain - could also help us understand how religion contributes to survival of the human race. Eminent contributors to this set help us answer questions How does religion better our brain function? What is the difference between a religious person and a terrorist who kills in the name of religion? Is there one site or function in the brain necessary for religious experience?