Have scientists discovered the brain region involved in spiritual experiences?

S.O.T.T: Whether we think of ourselves as religious or not, lots of people experience moments in life that can be considered spiritual - where we feel a greater sense of meaningfulness, serenity, or connection with the world around us.

Now, scientists think they've pinpointed where those transcendental moments are processed in the human brain, identifying a region in the parietal cortex that appears to be involved in experiences that go beyond our ordinary state of being.

"Spiritual experiences are robust states that may have profound impacts on people's lives," says one of the researchers, neuroscientist Marc Potenza from Yale University.

"Understanding the neural bases of spiritual experiences may help us better understand their roles in resilience and recovery from mental health and addictive disorders."

To ascertain where these moments of spiritual insight take place inside people's heads, Potenza's team interviewed 27 healthy young people, inviting them to help develop a personalised 'imagery script' in which they recalled a spiritual episode from earlier in their lives....read more>>>...