Since I was a child, I have been fascinated by the question, “What is the nature of reality, and how can we know it?” To engage this question, I have explored neuroscience throughout my career, trying to understand how our brain perceives reality. During that time, I have also come to recognize the profound importance of religious, spiritual, and philosophical approaches to this question. I have been particularly fascinated by the intense spiritual experiences that people throughout time and all cultures have described. My work in this book and throughout my career has looked at this intersection of spirituality and the brain, a field, sometimes referred to as Neurotheology.
I wrote...
The Varieties of Spiritual Experience: 21st Century Research and Perspectives
Spiritual experiences have occurred in people around the world and throughout history, up to and including the present day. The founders of every major religion described them, philosophers since antiquity have pondered them, and according to recent polls, about 30% of people still report them. A century ago, philosopher and psychologist William James famously analyzed accounts of these experiences and raised questions for future scientific study. What triggers these events? How are the brain and body affected? How do these brief moments have such lasting effects? Now, modern science has some answers.
This book explores phenomena ranging from divine revelations to paranormal experiences, with a diverse set of personal accounts from believers and non-believers alike, plunging readers into deeply personal and sometimes transformative moments.
The Varieties of Religious Experience has not only been an inspiration to me throughout my career, but has laid the foundation for the entire exploration of the most powerful experiences people have.
By combining psychology and religion, James embarked on a journey to recount and organize our understanding of religious experiences. Importantly, he also related his analysis to religion itself providing a basis for exploring the field of neurotheology – linking the brain and spirituality – long before we had the technology of MRI or PET brain scans.
His remarkable combination of philosophy, psychology, religion, and spirituality
First published in 1902, “The Varieties of Religious Experience” is William James’ philosophical and psychological examination of the nature of religion in human civilization. Based on James’s own Gifford Lectures given at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland between 1901 and 1902, James argues that “Scientific theories are organically conditioned just as much as religious emotions are; and if we only knew the facts intimately enough, we should doubtless see ‘the liver’ determining the dicta of the sturdy atheist as decisively as it does those of the Methodist under conviction anxious about his soul. When it alters in one way…
Mysticism and Logic is a significant work written by British philosopher Bertrand Russell. It has always been a favorite of mine as it engages two seemingly contradictory aspects of human thought: mysticism and logic.
He delves into the nature of mystical experiences and attempts to analyze them with the principles of logical reasoning. By exploring these contrasting perspectives, Russell invites readers to question and critically examine different ways of understanding the world and reality. While acknowledging the profound influence of mystical experiences on human thought and culture, he subjects mystical beliefs and experiences to logical scrutiny.
By applying principles of rationality, he challenges the coherence and evidential basis of mystical claims. This critical evaluation encourages us to approach mystical experiences with a balanced and critical mindset that I feel is at the heart of neurotheology.
First published in 1918, this collection from famous philosopher Bertrand Russell contains previously published works slightly refined for their new printing. Among these essays are: . "Mysticism and Logic" . "The Place of Science in Liberal Education" . "On the Notion of Cause" . "The Ultimate Constituents of Matter" As an analytic philosopher, Russell's work focuses on the use of logic and science to explore philosophical ideas. And, conversely, he uses philosophy to study scientific systems and scientific inquiry. He opens the book with "Mysticism and Logic," a discussion of the two major impulses in human and philosophical thought. Here…
I have viewed The Spiritual Brain as a fascinating exploration of spirituality in a manner similar to my own investigations of neurotheology.
Beauregard bridges the gap between science and spirituality presenting a range of neuroscientific research studies that explore the neural correlates of spiritual experiences. Beauregard draws from various spiritual traditions, including Christianity, Buddhism, and Native American spirituality, to support his arguments.
By incorporating a range of perspectives, he emphasizes the universality of spiritual experiences across different cultures and traditions. He also delves into questions about the nature of consciousness, free will, morality, and human nature. Beauregard argues for the existence of the soul and presents a non-reductive view of consciousness that acknowledges the spiritual dimension of human experiences.
Drawing on his own research along with others' work in neuroscience as well as some provocative new research in NDE (near-death experiences), Beauregard proves that genuine spiritual experiences can be documented and they generally have life-changing effects. "The Spiritual Brain" explains how such experiences work and the difference they make in the lives of the individual, powerfully arguing for what many in science are loathe to consider - that it is God that creates religious experiences, not the brain. Most neuroscientists are committed to the view that mystical experiences are simply the result of random neurons firing, or as one…
The Island has always had a soft spot in my heart since, as far as I know, it is the first time anyone mentioned the term – neurotheology.
And while he didn’t discuss neurotheology in any complex way, he recognized the value of exploring spirituality and the mind as essential for future “utopian like” societies. Huxley explores a fictional island called Pala, which is depicted as a harmonious and spiritually enlightened community, and also serves as a critique of the flaws and shortcomings of contemporary society.
Huxley draws heavily upon Eastern philosophies, and introduces readers to concepts such as mindfulness, meditation, and non-attachment, along with altered states of consciousness and psychedelics. Ultimately, he ponders the balance between individual freedoms and social responsibility, and how spirituality and enlightenment figure into this discussion.
For over a hundred years the Pacific island of Pala has been the scene of a unique experiment in civilisation. Its inhabitants live in a society where western science has been brought together with Eastern philosophy to create a paradise on earth. When cynical journalist, Will Farnaby, arrives to research potential oil reserves on Pala, he quickly falls in love with the way of life on the island. Soon the need to complete his mission becomes an intolerable burden and he must make a difficult choice.
In counterpoint to Brave New World and Ape and Essence, in Island Huxley gives…
I have found The Righteous Mind to be a fascinating exploration of how we think about reality from a moral perspective.
As with my broader interest in combining neuroscience, spirituality, and philosophy, Haidt's book offers a fresh and multidimensional perspective on morality, politics, and religion. He presents a comprehensive framework that goes beyond traditional dichotomies, such as liberal versus conservative or rational versus irrational, to explore the diverse moral foundations that shape our beliefs and behaviors.
Psychological Insights: Drawing on extensive research in psychology, neuroscience, and social science, Haidt skillfully explains how moral intuitions are shaped by a combination of evolutionary, cultural, and individual factors. He delves into the psychological mechanisms behind moral judgment, highlighting the role of emotions, intuition, and reasoning in our moral decision-making processes, in much the same way we come to our understanding of reality.
'A landmark contribution to humanity's understanding of itself' The New York Times
Why can it sometimes feel as though half the population is living in a different moral universe? Why do ideas such as 'fairness' and 'freedom' mean such different things to different people? Why is it so hard to see things from another viewpoint? Why do we come to blows over politics and religion?
Jonathan Haidt reveals that we often find it hard to get along because our minds are hardwired to be moralistic, judgemental and self-righteous. He explores how morality evolved to enable us to form communities, and…
Gabrielle found her grandfather’s diaries after her mother’s death, only to discover that he had been a Nazi. Born in Berlin in 1942, she and her mother fled the city in 1945, but Api, the one surviving male member of her family, stayed behind to work as a doctor in a city 90% destroyed.
Gabrielle retraces Api’s steps in the Berlin of the 21st century, torn between her love for the man who gave her the happiest years of her childhood and trying to come to terms with his Nazi membership, German guilt, and political responsibility.
Api's Berlin Diaries: My Quest to Understand My Grandfather's Nazi Past
"This is not a book I will forget any time soon."
Story Circle Book Reviews
Moving and provocative, Api's Berlin Diaries offers a personal perspective on the fall of Berlin 1945 and the far-reaching aftershocks of the Third Reich.
After her mother's death, Robinson was thrilled to find her beloved grandfather's war diaries-only to discover that he had been a Nazi.
The award-winning memoir shows Api, a doctor in Berlin, desperately trying to help the wounded in cellars without water or light. He himself was reduced to anxiety and despair, the daily diary his main refuge. As Robinson retraces Api's…
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