The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience: Decentering and the Self

The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience, now updated and expanded in a new edition, explores brain-based accounts of religious experiences and examines the rationale for utilizing neuroscience approaches to religion. It is primarily intended for religious studies scholars, but people interested in comparative religion, philosophy of religion, cultural evolution, and personal self-transformation will also find it valuable.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 350 pages
Publication date: 09 June 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience, now updated and expanded in a new edition, delves into crucial topics covered in its first edition, including decentering and self-transformation, supernatural agent cognitions, mystical states, religious language, ritualization, and religious group agency. This comprehensive resource has been revamped to encompass significant findings on brain and religious experiences over the past decade, with a particular focus on methodology, future thinking, and psychedelics. It serves as an up-to-date review of brain-based accounts of religious experiences, systematically examining the rationale for utilizing neuroscience approaches to religion. While primarily intended for religious studies scholars, individuals interested in comparative religion, philosophy of religion, cultural evolution, and personal self-transformation will discover an insightful account of how such transformation occurs within religious contexts.

Decentering and self-transformation:
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience explores the profound impact of religious practices on the human mind and brain. It examines how these practices can lead to a sense of transcendence, inner peace, and personal growth. The book discusses the mechanisms through which religious experiences can alter brain function, including changes in brain activity, neurotransmitter release, and neural connectivity. It also explores the role of meditation, mindfulness, and other spiritual practices in promoting self-transformation and reducing stress and anxiety.

Supernatural agent cognitions:
The book delves into the cognitive processes that underlie beliefs in supernatural agents, such as gods, spirits, and demons. It examines how these beliefs are formed, maintained, and altered through religious experiences. The book discusses the neural mechanisms that underpin belief in supernatural agents, including the role of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe in processing religious information. It also explores the cognitive biases and heuristics that can lead people to believe in supernatural agents, such as confirmation bias and the availability heuristic.

Mystical states:
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience explores the nature and characteristics of mystical states, such as meditation, prayer, and religious ecstasy. It examines how these states are experienced by individuals and the neural mechanisms that underpin them. The book discusses the role of brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex, parietal lobe, and insula in generating mystical experiences and the cognitive processes that occur during these states, such as attentional narrowing, self-transcendence, and altered states of consciousness.

Religious language:
The book explores the role of language in religious experiences and the cognitive processes that underlie religious language. It examines how language shapes religious beliefs, practices, and rituals and how it can facilitate communication and understanding between different religious communities. The book discusses the neural mechanisms that underpin language processing, including the role of the Broca and Wernicke's areas in speech production and comprehension. It also explores the cognitive biases and heuristics that can influence how people interpret religious language, such as the confirmation bias and the availability heuristic.

Ritualization:
The book examines the cognitive processes that underlie religious ritualization and the role that rituals play in promoting social cohesion, identity formation, and psychological well-being. It discusses the neural mechanisms that underpin ritual behavior, including the role of the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and basal ganglia in processing sensory information and generating emotional responses. The book also explores the cognitive biases and heuristics that can influence ritual behavior, such as the confirmation bias and the availability heuristic.

Religious group agency:
The book explores the cognitive processes that underlie religious group agency and the role that religious groups play in shaping society
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience, now updated and expanded in a new edition, delves into crucial topics covered in its first edition, including decentering and self-transformation, supernatural agent cognitions, mystical states, religious language, ritualization, and religious group agency. This comprehensive resource has been revamped to encompass significant findings on brain and religious experiences over the past decade, with a particular focus on methodology, future thinking, and psychedelics. It serves as an up-to-date review of brain-based accounts of religious experiences, systematically examining the rationale for utilizing neuroscience approaches to religion. While primarily intended for religious studies scholars, individuals interested in comparative religion, philosophy of religion, cultural evolution, and personal self-transformation will discover an insightful account of how such transformation occurs within religious contexts.

Decentering and self-transformation:
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience explores the profound impact of religious practices on the human mind and brain. It examines how these practices can lead to a sense of transcendence, inner peace, and personal growth. The book discusses the mechanisms through which religious experiences can alter brain function, including changes in brain activity, neurotransmitter release, and neural connectivity. It also explores the role of meditation, mindfulness, and other spiritual practices in promoting self-transformation and reducing stress and anxiety.

Supernatural agent cognitions:
The book delves into the cognitive processes that underlie beliefs in supernatural agents, such as gods, spirits, and demons. It examines how these beliefs are formed, maintained, and altered through religious experiences. The book discusses the neural mechanisms that underpin belief in supernatural agents, including the role of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe in processing religious information. It also explores the cognitive biases and heuristics that can lead people to believe in supernatural agents, such as confirmation bias and the availability heuristic.

Mystical states:
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience explores the nature and characteristics of mystical states, such as meditation, prayer, and religious ecstasy. It examines how these states are experienced by individuals and the neural mechanisms that underpin them. The book discusses the role of brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex, parietal lobe, and insula in generating mystical experiences and the cognitive processes that occur during these states, such as attentional narrowing, self-transcendence, and altered states of consciousness.

Religious language:
The book explores the role of language in religious experiences and the cognitive processes that underlie religious language. It examines how language shapes religious beliefs, practices, and rituals and how it can facilitate communication and understanding between different religious communities. The book discusses the neural mechanisms that underpin language processing, including the role of the Broca and Wernicke's areas in speech production and comprehension. It also explores the cognitive biases and heuristics that can influence how people interpret religious language, such as the confirmation bias and the availability heuristic.

Ritualization:
The book examines the cognitive processes that underlie religious ritualization and the role that rituals play in promoting social cohesion, identity formation, and psychological well-being. It discusses the neural mechanisms that underpin ritual behavior, including the role of the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and basal ganglia in processing sensory information and generating emotional responses. The book also explores the cognitive biases and heuristics that can influence ritual behavior, such as the confirmation bias and the availability heuristic.

Religious group agency:
The book explores the cognitive processes that underlie religious group agency and the role that religious groups play in shaping society and culture. It discusses the neural mechanisms that underpin group behavior, including the role of the prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe, and insula in coordinating social interactions and decision-making. The book also explores the cognitive biases and heuristics that can influence group behavior, such as the confirmation bias and the availability heuristic.

In conclusion, The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience provides a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the complex relationship between the brain and religious experiences. By examining the neural mechanisms that underpin religious beliefs, practices, and rituals, the book offers valuable insights into the cognitive processes that shape human behavior and cognition. It is an essential resource for religious studies scholars, philosophers of religion, cultural evolutionists, and personal self-transformation enthusiasts alike.

Weight: 428g
Dimension: 151 x 225 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108977890
Edition number: 2 Revised edition