Dr. Andrew Newberg is a pioneer in the neuroscientific study of religious and spiritual experiences, seeking to understand the nature of spiritual practices and their impact on the mind and brain. His work explores the fascinating relationship between the brain, religion, and health, utilizing brain imaging of individuals engaged in prayer, meditation, and various spiritual states. He emphasizes maintaining rigorous science while preserving the religious essence, shedding light on the intricate connections between science and the sacred.
This book explores scientific breakthroughs on spiritual experiences from the fields of psychology and neuroscience, beginning with an account of William James's foundational work before turning to cutting-edge research using neuroimaging, psychedelics, and large surveys. Illustrated with examples of spiritual experiences drawn from a diverse set of personal accounts, this book provides the basis for a scientifically informed contemporary understanding of these mysterious and deeply meaningful moments.
Perfect for readers of How God Changes Your Brain, two researchers present
over thirty straightforward brain exercises to help readers transform how they
think in order to generate happiness and success, in business and in life.
The bestselling authors of How God Changes Your Brain reveal the neurological underpinnings of enlightenment, offering unique strategies to help readers experience its many benefits. In this original and groundbreaking book, Andrew Newberg, M.D., and Mark Robert Waldman turn their attention to the pinnacle of the human experience: enlightenment. Through his brain- scan studies on Brazilian psychic mediums, Sufi mystics, Buddhist meditators, Franciscan nuns, Pentecostals, and participants in secular spirituality rituals, Newberg has discovered the specific neurological mechanisms associated with the enlightenment experience--and how we might activate those circuits in our own brains. In his survey of more than one thousand people who have experienced enlightenment, Newberg has also discovered that in the aftermath they have had profound, positive life changes. Enlightenment offers us the possibility to become permanently less stress-prone, to break bad habits, to improve our collaboration and creativity skills, and to lead happier, more satisfying lives. Relaying the story of his own transformational experience as well as including the stories of others who try to describe an event that is truly indescribable, Newberg brings us a new paradigm for deep and lasting change.
The topic of "Neurotheology" has garnered increasing attention in the academic, religious, scientific, and popular worlds. However, there have been no attempts at exploring more specifically how Jewish religious thought and experience may intersect with neurotheology. The Rabbi's Brain engages this groundbreaking area. Topics included relate to a neurotheological approach to the foundational beliefs that arise from the Torah and associated scriptures, Jewish learning, an exploration of the different elements of Judaism (i.e. reform, conservative, and orthodox), an exploration of specifically Jewish practices (i.e. Davening, Sabbath, Kosher), and a review of Jewish mysticism. The Rabbi's Brain engages these topics in an easy to read style and integrates the scientific, religious, philosophical, and theological aspects of the emerging field of neurotheology. By reviewing the concepts in a stepwise, simple, yet thorough discussion, readers regardless of their background, will be able to understand the complexities and breadth of neurotheology from the Jewish perspective. More broadly, issues will include a review of the neurosciences and neuroscientific techniques; religious and spiritual experiences; theological development and analysis; liturgy and ritual; epistemology, philosophy, and ethics; and social implications, all from the Jewish perspective.
God is great—for your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Based on new evidence culled from brain-scan studies, a wide-reaching survey of people’s religious and spiritual experiences, and the authors’ analyses of adult drawings of God, neuroscientist Andrew Newberg and therapist Mark Robert Waldman offer the following breakthrough discoveries: • Not only do prayer and spiritual practice reduce stress, but just twelve minutes of meditation per day may slow down the aging process. • Contemplating a loving God rather than a punitive God reduces anxiety and depression and increases feelings of security, compassion, and love. • Fundamentalism, in and of itself, can be personally beneficial, but the prejudice generated by extreme beliefs can permanently damage your brain. • Intense prayer and meditation permanently change numerous structures and functions in the brain, altering your values and the way you perceive reality. Both a revelatory work of modern science and a practical guide for readers to enhance their physical and emotional health, How God Changes Your Brain is a first-of-a-kind book about faith that is as credible as it is inspiring.
Exploring the intersection of neuroscience and spirituality, this book reveals how the brain is inherently wired to form beliefs. It delves into the biological underpinnings of faith and conviction, providing insights that challenge conventional thinking about belief systems. With a strong pre-release buzz, the author, known for their previous bestseller, offers a compelling argument for the innate human tendency to believe, making it a thought-provoking read for those interested in psychology and spirituality.
An introduction to the field of neurotheology explores the complex relationship between spiritual belief and the human brain, examining the link between transcendant religious experience and actual neurological events
Though adult cognitive development has previously been thought to be unyielding and static, Brain Weaver offers new hope and empowerment to remain mentally vibrant for a lifetime. Doctors Newberg and Monti’s team at Thomas Jefferson University’s Marcus Institute of Integrative Health are at the forefront of research in brain functioning and applications of the most advanced understanding in real-world strategies to expand options for optimizing our complex neurophysiology.Their findings show that optimal brain health is achievable by successfully weaving together a tapestry of our bio-psycho-social-spiritual dimensions. Brain Weaver also coincides with a decades-long surge in the public’s interest in whole-person treatments―body, mind and spirit evidence-based integrative therapies that include pharmaceuticals, electromagnetics, nutrition and meditation. Brain Weaver ’s timeliness is all the more important now to address a new paradigm for post-pandemic wellness that emphasizes our individual and collective responsibility for proactive healthcare 8 page, 4-color insert of brain scan images
Focuses on the pinnacle of the human experience: enlightenment. This book
offers us the possibility to become permanently less stress-prone, to break
bad habits, to improve our collaboration and creativity skills, and to lead
happier, more satisfying lives.
Laying the groundwork for a new synthesis of scientific and theological
dialogue, this book proposes that neurotheology, a term fraught with potential
problems, is a highly useful and important voice in the greater study of
religious and theological ideas and their intersection with science. číst celé
