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AND MARK ROBERT WALDMAN

Born To Believe:

God, Science, and the Origin of Ordinary and Extraordinary Beliefs

Why We Believe What We Believe:

Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth

ALSO BY ANDREW NEWBERG, M.D.

Why God Won't Go Away

(WITH EUGENE D'AQUILI AND VINCE RAUSE)

The Mystical Mind

(WITH EUGENE D'AQUILI)

ALSO BY MARK ROBERT WALDMAN

Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious, Vols 1–4

(Shadow, Seeker, Lover, Healer)

The Spirit of Writing

Love Games

Dreamscaping

(WITH STANLEY KRIPPNER)

The Art of Staying Together

TO OUR STUDENTS, PATIENTS, AND

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS:

You have helped to redefine the religious landscape of

contemporary American society by demonstrating the beauty,

diversity, optimism, and health benefits associated with

the spiritual practices of the world.

CONTENTS

Author's Note

ONE. RELIGION AND THE HUMAN BRAIN

1. Who Cares about God?

Prelude to a Neurological and Spiritual Revolution

2. Do You Even Need God When You Pray?

Meditation, Memory, and the Aging Brain

3. What Does God Do to Your Brain?

The Neural Varieties of Spiritual Practice

TWO. NEURAL EVOLUTION AND GOD

4. What Does God Feel Like?

The Varieties of Spiritual Experience

5. What Does God Look Like?

Imagination, Creativity, and the Visual Representation of Spirituality

6. Does God Have a Heart?

Compassion, Mysticism, and the Spiritual Personalities of the Brain

7. What Happens When God Gets Mad?

Anger, Fear, and the Fundamentalist in Our Brain

THREE. TRANSFORMING YOUR INNER REALITY

8. Exercising Your Brain

Eight Ways to Enhance Your Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Health

9. Finding Serenity

Meditation, Intention, Relaxation, and Awareness

10. Compassionate Communication

Dialogue, Intimacy, and Conflict Transformation

EPILOGUE: Is God Real?

A Personal Reflection

APPENDIX A. Compassionate Communication

CDs, Workshops, and Online Research

APPENDIX B. How to Participate in Our Research Studies

APPENDIX C. Meditation and Mindfulness

Books, CDs, and Resources

Acknowledgments

Endnotes

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Throughout most of this book Mark and I will be speaking to you with a united voice, for we have closely collaborated on the research we present. Thus, we liberally substitute I and we, and only occasionally specify ourselves as individuals, since the anecdotes we relate tend to reflect our shared experiences and values. However, when I is used to talk about the brain-scan research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, it is in reference to myself, as are most of the anecdotes that refer to childhood and college experiences. But research is never a solitary venture, so you'll often find references to our work, which includes not just Mark, but also the members of my research staff at the university, without whom I could not possibly conduct the work I do. For a list of those who have contributed to the research gathered in this volume, please see the acknowledgment page at the end of this book.

Of all the fields of science and medicine, neurophysiology is one of the most difficult topics to talk about in simple terms, especially when it comes to issues concerning consciousness, logic, emotional processing, and the reality-processing mechanisms of the brain—issues that are essential to address when dealing with the neurological correlates of spiritual experiences and religious beliefs. We have made the information as “user friendly” as possible, but generalizations often leave out important qualifications and concerns. Therefore, for those who desire additional information, we have provided extensive peer-reviewed references—over a thousand—in the endnotes to substantiate the conclusions we have drawn.

ONE

RELIGION

AND THE

HUMAN BRAIN

Our time is distinguished by wonderful achievements in the fields of scientific understanding and the technical application of those insights. Who would not be cheered by this? But let us not forget that knowledge and skills alone