Oct 4, 2020
#139 This week, my amazing guest is Dr. Andrew Newberg. Andrew
is a neuroscientist who studies the relationship between brain
function and various mental states. He is a pioneer in the
neurological study of religious and spiritual experiences, a field
known as “neurotheology.” His research includes taking brain scans
of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, so he
can better understand the nature of religious and spiritual
practices and attitudes.
This episode is incredibly interesting because we discuss a rather
new, but highly crucial, field. It’s amazing to see how religion
and science can come together and even explain each other. How do
we as humans have all these contradictory perspectives that can
make us even go to war against each other? Are the brains of
people who have undergone mystical and or spiritual experiences
different than those who have not? How do we even know if
we’ve gone through a spiritual experience?
Are you really sure of what you believe in? Why is that? These are
only some of the deep and important questions we try to answer in
this episode as we try to figure out ways to bring us all together
as humans.
About Andrew: Dr. Andrew
Newberg is the director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health
and a physician at Jefferson University Hospital. He is board
certified in internal medicine and nuclear medicine.
Andrew has been asking questions about reality, truth, and God
since he was very young, and he has long been fascinated by the
human mind and its complex workings. While a medical student, he
met Dr. Eugene d’Aquili, who was studying religious experiences.
Combining their interests with Andrew’s background in neuroscience
and brain imaging, they were able to break new theoretical and
empirical ground on the relationship between the brain and
religion.
Andrew’s research now largely focuses on how brain function is
associated with various mental states—in particular, religious and
mystical experiences. His research has included brain scans of
people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, as well
as surveys of people's spiritual experiences and attitudes. He has
also evaluated the relationship between religious or spiritual
phenomena and health, and the effect of meditation on memory. He
believes that it is important to keep science rigorous and religion
religious.
Andrew has also used neuroimaging research projects to study aging
and dementia, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression, and other
neurological and psychiatric disorders.
www.andrewnewberg.com
Key points with time stamp:
- Andrew’s work in his own words (4:39)
- What is Neuro-theology? (6:18)
- How does neuro-theology deal with our biases? (9:10)
- Are religion and science coming together? (11:27)
- How did Andrew start in the field of neuro-theology? (15:15)
- Is there significant change in the brain of those who meditate and or pray? (21:52)
- Can mystical experiences really change us for the better? (25:27)
- 5 key elements to enlightening experiences (30:54)
- How long can it take to make long-lasting change within ourselves? (34:00)
- How has Andrew’s work changed his life? (40:03)
- What does Andrew’s morning routine look like? (43:39)
- Andrew’s meditation practice (44:27)
- Andrew’s choice of a dinner guest, from any timeframe (45:31)
- What Andrew leaves us with (46:40)
Mentioned in this episode:
- Thomas Jefferson University
- Principles of Neurotheology, Book by Andrew B. Newberg
- Donald Trump
- Descartes
- Cartesianism
- How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain: The New Brain Science of Transformation, Book by Andrew B. Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman
- University of Pennsylvania
- Abas Alavi
- Eugene D'aquili
- Kundalini Yoga
- Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth. Book by Andrew B. Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman
- Leonardo Da Vinci
- Aristotle
About me:
My Instagram: www.instagram.com/guyhlawrence/?hl=en
My website:
www.guylawrence.com.au
www.liveinflow.co