Is there a scientific explanation for why people believe in God?

Question

Did anyone read the recent Discover Magazine that discussed God belief? The article proposed that psychedelic drugs produce similar results in the brain as people who have religious experiences.

Should we as non-theists put energy and time into studying the religious person's brain to see if there is "something there"? Is there value in trying to come up with a scientific explanation for religious theism?

Answer 1

Sean, I personally have been involved in psychedelic drug use(LSD, synthetic Mescaline,mushrooms), before my conversion to Jesus Christ. To be sure,there is a euphoria that could be described as similar in both experiences. They are however not synonomous. What secular scientists and Bio-chemists are not able to dissect and study is the Spirit..the spiritual heart or real you. What they are discovering is simply that bio chemical and electrial stimulus in the brain have a direct effect on the soul..the mind,will, and emotions.

Christians are no different than Atheists,Agnostics or even one who practices the worst immaginable evil...WE WERE ONCE AS YOU...we know where many of you live..We still remember...but we were given by God's grace,enlightenment,a personal revelation of God's unmerited favor and when we approached the light..We were changed. It is very difficult at best to describe or pen in words something that is best understood when experiencially discerned.

I will add somthing on a person note..I apprectiate many of your questions,as they seem somewhat more honest than that of somethat claim the same of your religio-persuasion..(however intellectually stimulating that they are at times)

You and Meat bot seem to stand out...there are others I am sure.

Answer 2

Zen buddhists are very careful to avoid attaching to many so-called religious experiences because too often people confuse it with the actual enlightenment experience and become attached to it (especially given that these non-enlightenment religious experiences of joy are still about the self). In '3 Pillars of Zen', they talk about how a skillful master will try to help the student navigate through what they call makyo (which many religions would attach to -- e.g. visions of God, etc.). When the actual enlightenment experience occurs, the self completely drops away and the experience, while registered in the dualistic mechanism of our brains, is completely non-dualistic and not like the religious or drug-induced experiences that are at the level of the cognitive and consciousness mechanisms related to the brain.

Answer 3

Yes, in fact there are several good theories that help to explain why many (most?) humans believe in things for which there is no evidence whatsoever. Most scientists who study this question are convinced that there is some kind of biological basis for such delusional thinking.

Shermer's "Why People Believe in Weird Things" is a good place to start.

Yes, whether we are theists or nontheists, it is always a good idea to know more about ourselves as a species. All of us are related and extremely similar in terms of how our brains work. All of us are subject to the trappings of our brains - such as the almost uncontrollable urge to rationalize and explain the various phenomenon we perceive every day. Our brains are like inductively programed computers, constantly generalizing. Knowing this is half the battle.

Answer 4

There is a lot of research about the evolution of belief. There was an article in the New York Times Magazine about 2 weeks ago and there are several books out. I think there is value in researching the evolution of belief. Maybe we'd all be a little more tolerant.
Also, I don't have any milk for my coffee....wtf
A book you might be interested in 'Six impossible things before breakfast'.

Answer 5

actually Sean
such tests in a way have been done
of course not to test for religious beliefs or a belief in God
but for " experiences "
I could go in depth with this and i feel i should
but there just isnt the room
so to cut a long story short
those who experience , lets say spirits.... use the same part of their brain that is used while in REM which is the creative part
now this would lead the skeptic to believe that it is indeed imagination , and i can see their point there
however as you know , I am also one who likes proof and validation of what I experience .... which i do get
so i too am interested in the brain/paranormal connection

Answer 6

Various scientific notions exist about the genetic, evolutionary, neurological, historical, and anthropological reasons for religious belief.

It is important to study and analyze this phenomenon, since strong religious belief can be a cause of war, genocide and other aspects of profound human suffering.

Answer 7

Religion and a possible link to OCD is also currently being explored. The most recent findings were described in a 2007 publication in Neurological Psychiatry. It's all very interesting stuff, and there are plenty of psychiatrists and psychologists who put their effort into this area of research. I know one of them, and he is simply brilliant!

Answer 8

medical clarification do no longer do something for atheism, regularly the theist who have been given extra know-how interior the scriptures are those that initiate getting doubt and slowly see the huge photograph, different interpretation of all of the non secular branches from an identical chapters of any of the abrahamics faiths and their dogmas, while they have been given know-how of the unique interpretations and extra ideal translation, that know-how initiate eroding the religion of a few believers.. the fantasies that in case you deny technology, god would be genuine come from some theist with little know-how of the two medical approaches and their very own faith.

Answer 9

Albert Einstein once said "science without religion is lame and religion without science is lame" so why don't you stop researching why people believe and research thing that shall help humanity like finding the cure for cancer so no there isn't it just wastes money

Answer 10

I'm sure the reason is chemically genetic. It's not a fluke that gods are created throughout history.