Researchers find neurological link between religious experiences and epilepsy

[Heddi]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170308131158.htm

Summary:
A relationship between epilepsy and heightened religious experiences has been recognized since at least the 19th century. In a recent study, researchers found a neurological relationship exists between religiosity -- a disposition for spiritual experience and religious activity -- and epilepsy. This finding sheds light on the connection between religion and neuropsychological processes within the human brain.

"Past research has indicated that humans might have a distinctive neurological tendency toward being spiritually oriented," said Brick Johnstone, a neuropsychologist and professor of health psychology. "This research supports the notion that the human propensity for religious or spiritual experiences may be neurologically based."

"The end goal of this research is to understand if some type of connection exists between the brain and spiritual experience," said Daniel Cohen, co-author and assistant professor of religious studies. "If a connection exists, what does it mean for humans and their relationship with religion?"
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"We found a strong correlation between philosophical religious thoughts and epilepsy, but no correlation between emotional thinking and epilepsy," said Greyson Holliday, co-author and MU undergraduate student studying psychology. "This study suggests that people may have natural neurological predispositions to think about religion but not in a way that is necessarily associated with emotion."
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http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13674676.2016.1238449

ABSTRACT
It has been hypothesised that humans may have an innate neurologic tendency towards being religiously oriented, suggesting that we possess religious-specific neuropsychological processes. Persons with epilepsy provide a unique opportunity to study these relationships given the documented hyper-religious experiences observed with epilepsy. The current study evaluated 19 individuals with epilepsy to determine if epilepsy-related religious experiences (as measured by the Bear Fedio Inventory [BFI]) are reflective of a general increase in behaviours observed with epilepsy (e.g., philosophical thoughts, emotionality), or if they are reflective of a religious-specific orientation. Spearman correlations indicated that: (1) BFI religious-orientation scales are significantly related to philosophical concerns (i.e., nature of the universe), but not measures of emotionality and (2) BFI religious-orientation scales, but not philosophical or emotionality scales, are significantly associated with other commonly used measures of spirituality. These findings suggest that individuals may possess neuropsychological processes that are specific to religious orientations.

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Research study can be purchased or obtained for free if you have access through academic or other databases

[trotsky]

1. Interesting stuff for sure. n/t