Study finds link between brain damage and religious fundamentalism

[bsjkki]

Anyone want to tackle this new study linking brain damage and religious fundamentalism? http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/study-finds-link-between-brain-damage-and-religious-fundamentalism?utm_source=realclearscience&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=partner

The study further confirms that the prefrontal cortex is associated with religious beliefs and is the latest in a number of recent studies that look to find the neurological basis for religion.

“The variation in the nature of religious beliefs are governed by specific brain areas in the anterior parts of the human brain and those brain areas are among the most recently evolved areas of the human brain,” said Grafman.

How free these areas are from disease, in particular the part known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, may determine a person’s mental openness - necessary to appreciate the “diversity of religious thought.” The prefrontal cortex was previously linked to having a cognitive function in spiritual experiences.

The scientists specify that they are not stating religious people overall are mentally inflexible or that belief is caused by brain damage. There are many cognitive processes involved in forming beliefs. But in some people, the system of “belief revision” may become suppressed due to brain damage. 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028393217301318

I would read the original study and pick through it but I'm too tired but thought it was an interesting topic.

 

[MormonVideoGame]

I wonder if they would find the same link with people that believe in the rabbit's foot, Reiki, reincarnation, haunted houses, demons, exorcisms, alien abduction, dowsing, or lucky powers? 

Edited May 9, 2017 by MormonVideoGame

[RevTestament]

2 hours ago, bsjkki said:

Anyone want to tackle this new study linking brain damage and religious fundamentalism? http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/study-finds-link-between-brain-damage-and-religious-fundamentalism?utm_source=realclearscience&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=partner

The study further confirms that the prefrontal cortex is associated with religious beliefs and is the latest in a number of recent studies that look to find the neurological basis for religion.

“The variation in the nature of religious beliefs are governed by specific brain areas in the anterior parts of the human brain and those brain areas are among the most recently evolved areas of the human brain,” said Grafman.

How free these areas are from disease, in particular the part known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, may determine a person’s mental openness - necessary to appreciate the “diversity of religious thought.” The prefrontal cortex was previously linked to having a cognitive function in spiritual experiences.

The scientists specify that they are not stating religious people overall are mentally inflexible or that belief is caused by brain damage. There are many cognitive processes involved in forming beliefs. But in some people, the system of “belief revision” may become suppressed due to brain damage. 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028393217301318

I would read the original study and pick through it but I'm too tired but thought it was an interesting topic.

 

The title seems to suggest that religious orthodoxy somehow causes brain damage. Of course that is not what the study is suggesting. It is merely suggesting that if one suffers brain damage, it can affect their religious understanding and/or belief system. This shouldn't be too surprising. I believe the Lord accounts for our intelligence. People with Down's Syndrome are not going to be held to the same standard as others. Clearly, children under 8 are not held to the standard of an adult with the understanding of a typical adult.

If you are wondering exactly what to expect in one's religious life as a result of brain damage, I think the study is not informative enough. Too much would depend on the location and degree of the brain damage.

[Glenn101]

The study would also need to get a lot larger pool to study, i.e. are all people with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex which bring about reduced cognitive flexibility predominantly religious fundamentalists? There are many other types of people with inflexible beliefs. Was there an effort to check out some of them for evidence of brain damage?

I know a lot of people who went to Vietnam that were pretty religious and came back unbelievers, while others came back really entrenched in their religious views. I also know some that went there pretty irreligious and came back fervent believers. A lot more work needs to be done for this study to be significant. A lot of fundamentalists that never went to war need to be checked for brain damage. A lot of hard core atheists also need to be checked. And people who engage in violent sportd that lead head injuries of the sort noted in the study.

This study is behind a paywall and I am not going to shell out forty dollars for it. Suffice it to quote from the article about the study:

"The scientists themselves point out the limitations of their study and call for more research into the subject. Grafman notes the fact that the sample was all male American veterans, certainly not representative of all demographic and cultural groups."

Glenn

[The Nehor]

Then all you have to do is find a way to cure this brain damage and all religion will vanish. Why are you wasting your time here debating with us when you can cut down the source? Go forth! For the good of mankind!

Are they gone yet?

[Gray]

Interesting study.

Quote

The researchers define fundamentalism as a cognitive approach that “embodies adherence to a set of firm religious beliefs advocating unassailable truths about human existence.“

I do think that's part and parcel to fundamentalism, although there is often an element of rigid literalism in the definition as well. Or, not even just rigid literalism, but rigid literalism as a marker for "true" believers.  I suppose their definition works better across all religious traditions.

 

[CV75]

11 hours ago, bsjkki said:

I would read the original study and pick through it but I'm too tired but thought it was an interesting topic.

I think the ability to challenge our beliefs applies to more than just religion, and "religious" can describe the mental processes (including attitude and personality) the brain uses toward any subject touching on "human existence."

[MormonVideoGame]

11 hours ago, The Nehor said:

Then all you have to do is find a way to cure this brain damage and all religion will vanish. Why are you wasting your time here debating with us when you can cut down the source? Go forth! For the good of mankind!

I am not sure who you are talking to, but my question is 

19 hours ago, MormonVideoGame said:

I wonder if they would find the same link with people that believe in the rabbit's foot, Reiki, reincarnation, haunted houses, demons, exorcisms, alien abduction, dowsing, or lucky powers? 

 

16 hours ago, Glenn101 said:

"The scientists themselves point out the limitations of their study and call for more research into the subject. Grafman notes the fact that the sample was all male American veterans, certainly not representative of all demographic and cultural groups."

Do faith promoting studies also have limitations? 

[clarkgoble]

19 hours ago, MormonVideoGame said:

I wonder if they would find the same link with people that believe in the rabbit's foot, Reiki, reincarnation, haunted houses, demons, exorcisms, alien abduction, dowsing, or lucky powers? 

http://www.psypost.org/2017/04/study-finds-belief-aliens-religious-belief-share-similar-psychological-motivation-48675

I have the full paper. 

Prior studies looking at evolutionary psychology of certain aspects of religious tie it to general cognitive structures such as agency detection. i.e. the cost of a false positive is low while a false negative often leads to being eaten by a predator. 

I don't think this explains all religious experience of course.

[clarkgoble]

Quote

The researchers define fundamentalism as a cognitive approach that “embodies adherence to a set of firm religious beliefs advocating unassailable truths about human existence.“

I'd love to know what marker they're using to act as a proxy for that. This seems a category pretty difficult to measure. For instance how does one distinguish this from say scientific truths scientists are extremely confident about?

[Glenn101]

3 hours ago, MormonVideoGame said:

Do faith promoting studies also have limitations? 

All studies have limitations. Don't know what your point is.

 

[Kenngo1969]

Quote

 

The scientists specify that they are not stating religious people overall are mentally inflexible or that belief is caused by brain damage. There are many cognitive processes involved in forming beliefs. But in some people, the system of “belief revision” may become suppressed due to brain damage. 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028393217301318

I would read the original study and pick through it but I'm too tired but thought it was an interesting topic.

 

Given the above, I'm not sure your topic title does the topic justice.