Episode 24: Dr. Patrick McNamara and The Neuroscience of Religious Belief
Did you know that religious belief and experiences have a profound effect on our brains? In this unique episode we speak with neuroscientist Patrick McNamara on how folklore affects our brains? We discuss how the brain processes and interprets religion, as well as mythology, mystical experiences. We ask existential questions like why and how people develop relationships with supernatural agents such as God, gods, prophets, angels, ghosts? Our guest, Dr. McNamara is a co-founder of The Center for Mind and Culture, a non-profit research institute dedicated to the study of the neurologic and evolutionary correlates of religious beliefs, behaviors, and practices.
Links:
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience book
The Neuroscience of Sleep and Dreams (Cambridge Fundamentals of Neuroscience in Psychology) book
Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Cognition (CNRC) Project