spituality and the brain

[Guest guest]

P: Ah, what light source you are! If I could only

clone you, I could light up the world. Not that I

didn't know that, but that is news we should

broadcast, even if it sadden old idealists.

Why are idealists sadden by that? In truth they

should be glad, because that news proves the

sense of being separate is an illusion created

by the brain, and rewiring the brain by trauma,

meditation and others practices restores the unitive

view.

 

They are saddened because, foolishly, they insist in

denying a role to matter in manifestation. They want

spirit to be all, as if they knew what spirit means,

and how it could rank above matter. It simply is

a rejection of change, but rejecting change, is

rejecting existing; only that that doesn't exist,

doesn't change.

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

Scientists have identified areas of the brain that, when damaged, lead to

greater spirituality. The findings hint at the roots of spiritual and religious

attitudes, the researchers say.

 

The study, published in the Feb. 11 issue of the journal Neuron, involves a

personality trait called self-transcendence, which is a somewhat vague measure

of spiritual feeling, thinking, and behaviors. Self-transcendence " reflects a

decreased sense of self and an ability to identify one's self as an integral

part of the universe as a whole, " the researchers explain.

 

Before and after surgery, the scientists surveyed patients who had brain tumors

removed. The surveys generate self-transcendence scores.

 

Selective damage to the left and right posterior parietal regions of the brain

induced a specific increase in self-transcendence, or ST, the surveys showed.

 

" Our symptom-lesion mapping study is the first demonstration of a causative link

between brain functioning and ST, " said Dr. Cosimo Urgesi from the University of

Udine in Italy. " Damage to posterior parietal areas induced unusually fast

changes of a stable personality dimension related to transcendental

self-referential awareness. Thus, dysfunctional parietal neural activity may

underpin altered spiritual and religious attitudes and behaviors. "

 

Previous neuroimaging studies had linked activity within a large network in the

brain that connects the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortexes with spiritual

experiences, " but information on the causative link between such a network and

spirituality is lacking, " explains lead study author, Urgesi said.

 

One study, reported in 2008, suggested that the brain's right parietal lobe

defines " Me, " and people with less active Me-Definers are more likely to lead

spiritual lives.

 

The finding could lead to new strategies for treating some forms of mental

illness.

 

" If a stable personality trait like ST can undergo fast changes as a consequence

of brain lesions, it would indicate that at least some personality dimensions

may be modified by influencing neural activity in specific areas, " said Dr.

Salvatore M. Aglioti from Sapienza University of Rome. " Perhaps novel approaches

aimed at modulating neural activity might ultimately pave the way to new

treatments of personality disorders. "

 

http://news./s/livescience/20100212/sc_livescience/linkstospiritualityf\

oundinthebrain