Study Seeks to Learn How Religion Affects the Brain

A group of University of Utah researchers are trying to understand how the human brain works in people with firm religious beliefs.

Medialxpress.com reports that Jeff Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of neuroradiology at the University of Utah, stated that this is the first study of it’s kind. Anderson, who is also the director of the project, said,

[pull_quote_center]Religious and spiritual stimuli are among the most profound influences on behavior that exists. The neuroscience of spirituality, however, is almost completely unknown. We want to study what happens in the brain when someone has a spiritual experience.[/pull_quote_center]

The Religious Brain Project, as it is called, is first focusing on studying the brains of individuals who have returned home from missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and who still remain active in the faith.

Volunteer participants who are selected for the study agree to have an MRI scan. During the scan, the participants can either involve themselves in scripture study, prayer, or viewing church-produced videos to help stimulate the brain activity.

Anderson says that he hopes the study will reveal how strong the influences are from typical religious experiences, like scripture study or prayer. He says,

[pull_quote_center]We also want to understand which brain networks contribute to religious feeling. When individuals experience spiritually meaningful feelings, like enlightenment, chills, goose bumps, or equanimity, is there a characteristic response in the brain?[/pull_quote_center]

Even though the study is first focusing on Latter-day Saints, in the future it will grow to include other religions as well.