Louisville Process Theology Network

What Your Brain Believes

“The brain believes that the things it perceives are real. We assign reality based on the degree to which something seems real. In conjunction with the binary operator, we can establish existence from nonexistence.

Why do some believe God exists and others do not? Regardless of your beliefs, it is the brain that draws the line between a belief that God does or does not exist.

For example, research has shown that there are differences in the brain scans of atheists contemplating God. For them, the brain is not able to activate in the same way as a religious person’s brain—largely because they do not have a clear sense of God’s existence. ·  

It remains unclear why we think anything exists or does not exist, but through research, we can explore questions such as: What does God look like? What does God feel like?......

For many, God is indescribable. This is an interesting description because it implies that a particular thought—God—cannot be relegated to any clear language……

Another fascinating element of different religious traditions, specifically with regard to how we act and think about God, has to do with willfulness or surrender……..

Is God something we should surrender ourselves to? By surrendering themselves, some individuals find a new understanding of God and a new relationship with God.”

See also Newberg and Waldman on “How God Changes Your Brain.”