..research suggests that whether we believe in a God may be due to physical differences in the brains of ardent believers. Inspiration for this work has come from a group of patients who have a brain disorder called temporal lobe epilepsy. In a minority of patients, this condition induces bizarre religious hallucinations.
Scientists now believe famous religious figures in the past could also have been sufferers from the condition. St Paul and Moses appear to be two of the most likely candidates.
But most convincing of all is the evidence from American neurologist Professor Gregory Holmes. He has studied the life of Ellen G White, who was the spiritual founder of the Seventh-day Adventist movement.
During her life, Ellen had hundreds of dramatic religious visions which were key in the establishment of the church. But Professor Holmes has discovered that at the age of nine, Ellen suffered a severe blow to her head. As a result, she was semi-conscious for several weeks and so ill she never returned to school.
Following the accident, Ellen's personality changed dramatically and she became highly religious and moralistic.
We will never know for sure whether religious figures in the past definitely did have the disorder but scientists now believe the condition provides a powerful insight into revealing how religious experience may impact on the brain. They believe what happens inside the minds of temporal lobe epileptic patients may just be an extreme case of what goes on inside all of our minds.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2865009.stm
I have to admit that I felt some of the bizarre claims by ardent religious believers had to be more than simple irrationality. While psychotic delusions are certainly true for some, this explanation of temporal lobe epilepsy seems to add an additional dimension.
Finding that our perceptions of God are neuro-physiological probably means that God doesn't really exist.
Another interesting article –
http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/images/new_page_2.htm
Scientists now believe famous religious figures in the past could also have been sufferers from the condition. St Paul and Moses appear to be two of the most likely candidates.
But most convincing of all is the evidence from American neurologist Professor Gregory Holmes. He has studied the life of Ellen G White, who was the spiritual founder of the Seventh-day Adventist movement.
During her life, Ellen had hundreds of dramatic religious visions which were key in the establishment of the church. But Professor Holmes has discovered that at the age of nine, Ellen suffered a severe blow to her head. As a result, she was semi-conscious for several weeks and so ill she never returned to school.
Following the accident, Ellen's personality changed dramatically and she became highly religious and moralistic.
We will never know for sure whether religious figures in the past definitely did have the disorder but scientists now believe the condition provides a powerful insight into revealing how religious experience may impact on the brain. They believe what happens inside the minds of temporal lobe epileptic patients may just be an extreme case of what goes on inside all of our minds.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2865009.stm
I have to admit that I felt some of the bizarre claims by ardent religious believers had to be more than simple irrationality. While psychotic delusions are certainly true for some, this explanation of temporal lobe epilepsy seems to add an additional dimension.
Finding that our perceptions of God are neuro-physiological probably means that God doesn't really exist.
Another interesting article –
http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/images/new_page_2.htm
