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For other articles and previous issues click here. April 26, 2004 Imaging
God? Ours is a world of Christians and Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, Sikhs and Jews, tribal shamans and New Age mystics, and so much more. We are a diverse, often divided people, yet many are also united by feelings of love, peace, comfort, and connection of shared spiritual experiences. But how does data-driven science explain these feelings of spirituality? And what does science have to say about the centrality of spirituality to the human experience? For centuries, philosophers have tried to resolve these profound questions with little agreement. Now scientists are taking their turn, turning to the breathtaking powers of neuroimaging to examine the mysteries of mind, spirit, and soul. Just as cosmologists today search for a “unified field theory” that integrates the fundamental forces of physics, researchers like 37-year-old Andrew Newberg, MD, seek a link that joins medicine, philosophy, theology, human feeling, cognition, and emotion. Dubbed a “neurotheologist” by some, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) researcher is investigating the neurology of spiritual and religious experiences using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), functional MRI, and PET. Despite more than a few raised eyebrows, Newberg believes that science is ready to shed new light on our understanding of reality, the “intersection of spirituality and science,” and people’s enduring relationship with God. Newberg is no stranger to the spotlight. In 2001, he and his Penn research team gained international prominence when they mapped the brains of Tibetan Buddhists in deep meditation. Rather than finding the Buddhists adrift in dreamylike detachment—a common stereotype—Newberg found unexpected cognitive and emotional complexities. In a matter of minutes, SPECT imaging had confirmed what centuries of speculation could not: Meditation induces a sharply focused mental state coupled with spatial detachment—a detachment that gives rise to feelings of connection or “oneness” with the universe. Newberg demonstrated that these experiences were neither fabrication nor wishful thinking, but instead “biologically, observably, and scientifically real.” His conclusion? Our neurobiology predisposes us to transcendent experiences. Reflecting on his research, Newberg comments, “We found many similarities between the Tibetan Buddhists and Franciscan nuns in our earlier study. One of the more interesting differences is that the nuns also activated brain regions in the language axis, which makes sense because their prayer is verbal-based, while Buddhist practice focuses on visualization.” Biology of Belief “Obviously, I’d be overaggrandizing to say we have somehow captured that which is intrinsically spiritual—that we have captured the soul,” Newberg says of his work. “But I think that we are capturing the psychological responses people have during a spiritual experience—the cognitive and emotional responses. In some senses, perhaps the more interesting finding would have been to find nothing changed in the brain of a meditating Buddhist or praying nuns, suggesting something entirely spiritual.” The powerful pull of religion that so mystified philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche makes perfect sense to Andrew Newberg. Despite untold suffering, humans continue to be drawn to religion because we are wired for powerful spiritual sensations. In essence, when we pray, we are answering nature’s call—our genetic coding. All of which begs the question: Who might be the architect of this neurohandiwork—evolution or God? Put differently, is God the creator or the creation of the human mind? Ignoring the firestorm of controversy over his supposition-heavy books, Newberg says these questions beg answering, given the estimated 5 billion “religious” people and 3,000-plus distinct religions or “faith groups” worldwide. Apple Pies and Brick Walls The paradox thus finds Newberg—board-certified in internal medicine, nuclear medicine, and nuclear cardiology—using the physical sciences to study the metaphysical. “What I’m trying to do,” he explains, “is to utilize the window of neuroimaging to understand the complexities of what it means to be human. My focus centers on getting a handle on the more spiritual elements of who we are as human beings and how our spirituality effects us.” And while Newberg believes the human brain is wired for spiritual experiences, he carefully avoids using the expression “hardwired.” “I have some concern with that term,” he says, “because ‘hardwiring’ implies a purposeful design. Science can’t answer whether there is a God—or whether our religious or spiritual impulses were put there by God or developed through evolution.” In short, present-day neuroscience can answer many intriguing questions about spiritual and religious experiences. But eventually, it runs up against a metaphysical brick wall—a wall impervious to nuclear isotopes and electromagnetism. Here, Newberg reaches for an analogy: apple pie. “If I perform a brain scan on someone who is looking at an apple pie,” he says, “I can tell you what’s going on when they have that experience of looking at the apple pie. What I can’t tell you is whether that apple pie is real or imagined. I can only tell you how the vision of a pie affects that person internally. This means that, to a certain extent, we create our own reality, and determining what is real is the tricky part.” Bioelectrical Figment? Nor does the bioelectrical basis to man’s spirituality refute or cast doubt on religion and the existence of God, he says. “We’re not saying, ‘Our brain scan means religion is nothing more than what’s happening in your brain.’ Our research doesn’t diminish religious experiences at all. Actually, I’m reasonably sympathetic to the religious and spiritual perspective, as far as what we think and feel when we have these impulses. What religious people come away with from our research is an understanding that these religious experiences really do affect us in very physiological, fundamental ways. But our research also helps them understand what their spirituality is all about and how the different experiences they’ve had in their lives have affected them.” Spiritual or religious experiences may confer additional benefits, he says, creating “cohesive societies by way of morals and social cohesion.” In short, Newberg says his work buttresses the relevance of spirituality on physiological, psychological, evolutionary, societal, and cultural bases. God won’t go away, he says, “because our brains won’t allow God to leave.” Redefining Reality Alluding a last time to the apple pie analogy, he says, “Our research does get into issues of how we experience and understand reality. At present, our science [and progress] is literally trapped within our own mind and consciousness. Unless we can escape these constraints—unless we can lift off that veil, see what’s truly out there in reality, and get both science and religion together—we’ll never better understand who we are as human beings.” Thus today, we find radiologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists collaborating with cosmologists, philosophers, and theologians. Big answers will require time—perhaps decades, perhaps centuries. It may even be that the ultimate mysteries are unknowable, far beyond the powers of the human mind and humanity’s technological wizardry. But for now, Newberg is thankful—and hopeful. Earthly Work Yes, Newberg says much hard work remains. But he can’t imagine anything more fulfilling. — Matthew Robb is a freelance writer residing in suburban Washington, D.C. |
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