Religious Experiences Shrink Part of the Brain

[Eudaimonist]

Religious Experiences Shrink Part of the Brain: Scientific American

"A study links life-changing religious experiences, like being born again, with atrophy in the hippocampus"


Neurotheology is going to be a hot topic (like a hot potato at times) over the next few centuries, no doubt.

What are the implications of this research? If certain forms of religious experience atrophy parts of the brain, how should we understand this?


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[SithDoughnut]

We should understand it based on the results. Does this atrophy have negative effects on anything?

 

[Blayz]

That is the second sucky paper I have seen today. Seriously, who are the reviewers for these things? Where's the original data, what models were used with what software, and which braniac thought that pvalues were a better idea than confidence intervals.

 

[Eudaimonist]

We should understand it based on the results. Does this atrophy have negative effects on anything?

Excellent question to ask.

I don't know for certain about this atrophy, but I recommend that you read up on the hippocampus. Wikipedia discusses some possible problems that may occur if the hippocampus is smaller than it should be, or if damaged for some reason.

Hippocampus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Excellent question to ask.

I don't know for certain about this atrophy, but I recommend that you read up on the hippocampus. Wikipedia discusses some possible problems that may occur if the hippocampus is smaller than it should be, or if damaged for some reason.

Hippocampus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Isn't it a bit of a stretch to say that this atrophy is detrimental, just because other instances of smaller hippocampi are detrimental? Maybe this atrophy also results in a higher density of neurons and a greater surface area - maybe it's not shrinking, so much as it is contracting as it expands its own surface area - compared with other, genuine destructive shrinking.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Isn't it a bit of a stretch to say that this atrophy is detrimental, just because other instances of smaller hippocampi are detrimental?

A stretch? No. It's not a stretch. It's a perfectly reasonable inference.

However, you are right to question that it is detrimental. It might not be.

Maybe this atrophy also results in a higher density of neurons and a greater surface area - maybe it's not shrinking, so much as it is contracting as it expands its own surface area - compared with other, genuine destructive shrinking.

Well... there is no reported evidence of that, and they may have been checking. Good question though.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Gracchus]

"The results showed significantly greater hippocampal atrophy in individuals reporting a life-changing religious experience. In addition, they found significantly greater hippocampal atrophy among born-again Protestants, Catholics, and those with no religious affiliation, compared with Protestants not identifying as born-again.
The authors offer the hypothesis that the greater hippocampal atrophy in selected religious groups might be related to stress. They argue that some individuals in the religious minority, or those who struggle with their beliefs, experience higher levels of stress. This causes a release of stress hormones that are known to depress the volume of the hippocampus over time. This might also explain the fact that both non-religious as well as some religious individuals have smaller hippocampal volumes."

Religious Experiences Shrink Part of the Brain: Scientific American

It is not clear to me from the article whether the religious experience shrinks the hippocampus or whether it is a result of the atrophy.

 

[Received]

We're forgetting mediating variables.

"The authors offer the hypothesis that the greater hippocampal atrophy in selected religious groups might be related to stress. They argue that some individuals in the religious minority, or those who struggle with their beliefs, experience higher levels of stress. This causes a release of stress hormones that are known to depress the volume of the hippocampus over time. This might also explain the fact that both non-religious as well as some religious individuals have smaller hippocampal volumes."

This makes the whole thing reasonable, and very fascinating.

 

[Received]

Curse you, Gracchus!

 

[Xenocide]

Basically You're Survival Abilities Are Dimnished Once U Start Going Crazy Doing Church Worship Songs So Basically This Is Pretty Much The Reason All Of You Are So Lonely And The Only Thing You Can Do Is Discuss Mental Constructs Which You Believe To Be The Meaning Of Life

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Maybe born again people want to forget their pasts. Isn't the hippocampus used in memory?

 

[dazed]

I think it's like not exercising your other muscles. They will atrophy. Any question to stimulate your mind, that's not productive to the understanding of the Bible, is quashed. ie. How did Noah manage to get all the animals, like kangaroos and polar bears, on to the Ark? It's a miracle, now go back and read the scripture.