Neuroscience, Near Death Experiences, & How God Changes the Brain - Dr Andrew Newberg

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Dr Andrew Newberg is a neuroscientist and one of the world’s leading researchers exploring the relationship between neuroscience and spirituality.
His research includes taking brain scans of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, in an attempt to better understand the nature of religious and spiritual experiences.
He has published over 250 peer reviewed articles and 14 books. His work has been featured in Time, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, and he was listed as one of the 30 most influential neuroscientists alive today by the Online Psychology Degree Guide.
In this conversation, we explore:
- Studies exploring the relationship between mass meditations and crime rate
- Near death experiences
- Dr Newberg’s views on consciousness
- The extent to which we can say that religious and spiritual experiences cause physical changes in the brain
- The link between spirituality and mental health.
And more.
You can learn more about Dr Newberg’s research and books by visiting: www.andrewnewberg.com.
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Dr Andrew Nerberg is a neuroscientist, author, Professor, and the Research Director in the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He studies how brain function is associated with various mental states, and is a pioneer in the neurological study of religious and spiritual experiences - a field known as “neurotheology.” Dr Newberg’s 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. You can learn more about Dr Newberg’s work at: www.andrewnewberg.com
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
0:23 - Consciousness and Crime
7:09 - Science, Spirituality, and Consciousness
14:17 - Transcendental Shifts in Near-Death Experiences
22:57 - Frontal Lobe and Spiritual Transformations
27:34 - Analytical Idealism and Conscious Experience
30:17 - Brain Regions, Beliefs, and Religion
38:08 - Brain, Belief, and Compassion
44:30 - Spirituality and Neuroscience
49:36 - Religious Bonds as Secure Bases
53:40 - Infinite Exploration
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Links:
- Dr Andrew’s website: www.andrewnewberg.com
- Dr Andrew’s books: amzn.to/3uIAC4F

[@dongeonmaster8547]

47:40 When doing these population studies how do you know when to attribute positive/negative findings based on religious or non religious mindsets? It could be a sampling of people would yield a certain result on average regardless of religious beliefs. It would be more informative to do studies with comparable groups. 500 atheist, 500 Christians, 500 buddest, 500 Hindus etc and build in mechanisms to account for the reported strength of their beliefs and for external influences from the conditions and communities they all live in. Lots if variables here.

[@bavingeter423]

I remember this guy from a video years ago about glissolalia! Glad he’s still on it

[@CristinasofiaSpirit]

It’s all about intent. And persistence and regular practice is key. That way the frequency grows stronger and as a collective we become more aligned. For example I had high blood pressure with Long covid. I was already a regular meditator but I began doing a twice daily practice with healing intention. It healed me within 3 months without medication. You might say, well maybe not. But as soon as my life got busy again and I dropped it, I got hypertensive again. I resumed my practice and it had a significant effect on lowering it once again. I am yet to normalise it and maybe I will need medication eventually but I have no doubt that being more persistent than the problem is what solves it

[@THEUNFOLDING-]

two things that will help with neurogenesis, and in turn with health and your meditation, is to study how your body works on its smallest scales, and in turn it will help click, exactly what you are as a holographic being in the universe. and meditate without dogma. it's mostly a trap. the trick is not to search (as it will leave you searching, such is the law of mirrors), and remain constantly open, aware, and do everything - even walking - with intention

[@JohnMartim-sy9yf]

Consciousness really afect the outside world. But...to have big results, you have to has a very, very alterated states of consciousness! And, boy, does this makes an effect!!

[@yurekandsnakes]

If NDEs weren't real, and just a chance hallucination, for something to take up energy at a critical stage what would be the evolutionary benefit of them?

[@dongeonmaster8547]

45:40 How God changes the brain. Should rather be how the belief in god changes the brain. It's psychological not metaphysical.

[@THEUNFOLDING-]

it'd be great if more neuroscience branches could start acknowledging our telepathic nature, and not just finding it haphazardly in autistic children

[@LAila-qf4ww]

In Islam consciousness= taqwa Being mindful and present of God’s presence (who is overlooking from above)

[@cameliavrabie2603]

what an astonish subject and denied , too.

[@user-hw9sy7dt4z]

"We have to eat animals..." it still amazes me how painfully anthopocentric and selfish those who preach about openness, compassion and interconnectedness seem to be.

[@maxfrank13]

Relax.

[@THEUNFOLDING-]

it's all about our pyramidal neurons

[@janny474]

Mother Theresa a saint? I think this guy is misinformed.

[@dongeonmaster8547]

Matter and energy exists without consciousness. Consciousness is an emergent property of living beings.

[@dongeonmaster8547]

11:06 😂😂😂 "The universe is conscious " That is a horrible starting position as it is not evidently true. The only place we have evidence of anything we'd call consciousness is in living organisms. The only place we've found living organisms so far is Earth. All the inanimate things here and throughout the cosmos, including the cosmos itself are, as far as anyone can tell, not capable of consciousness. Until anyone can prove consciousness in a non-living thing this starting point is a non-starter.

[@carlloccisano8849]

Stop Irish Anti-Semitism!!!

[@LAila-qf4ww]

Free Palestine 🇵🇸

[@LAila-qf4ww]

Forver