#720 Patrick McNamara - The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience: Decentering and the Self
Dr. Patrick McNamara is an Associate Professor of Neurology in the Department of Neurology at the BU School of Medicine and Professor of Psychology at National University, and Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Religion Project, along with Dr. Jordan Grafman. Upon graduating from the Behavioral Neuroscience Program at Boston University in 1991, he trained at the Aphasia Research Center at the Boston VA Medical Center in neurolinguistics and brain-cognitive correlation techniques. He then began developing an evolutionary approach to problems of brain and behavior and currently is studying the evolution of the frontal lobes, the evolution of the two mammalian sleep states (REM and NREM) and the evolution of religion in human cultures. He is the author of The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience: Decentering and the Self.
In this episode, we focus on The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience. We start by talking about the use of neuroscience in the study of religion, the evolution of religion, its role in gene-culture coevolution, and religion as a transformational technology. We then go through decentering, the divided self, the cognitive mechanisms and brain conditions that give rise to religiosity, psychedelics, mystical experiences, supernatural agents, rituals, and the relationship between language and religion.
Time Links:
Intro
Using neuroscience to study religion
The evolution of religion
The role of religion in gene-culture coevolution
Religion as a transformational technology
Decentering
The divided self
Cumulative cultural evolution
The cognitive mechanisms and brain correlates most associated with religious experiences
The use of psychedelics
Mystical experiences
Transformational experiences
Supernatural agents and their psychological effects
Rituals
Divine kings as supernatural agents
The relationship between language and religion
Follow Dr. McNamara’s work!
Follow Dr. McNamara’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3sJDsHZ
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Experience: https://amzn.to/3SMt1yZ
Amazon page: https://amzn.to/3FUj6Bb