BBC Documentary "God on the Brain"

[courtneylee]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2865009.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2003/godonbrain.shtml

I watched this documentary on the ABC (in Australia) on Monday night. I found it thoroughly fascinating! Basically, in people suffering Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, there is a percentage of sufferers who get these Religious visions - even in those who aren't believers. They did some tests and have discovered that the temporal lobes are quite instrumental to religious experience in all people and the Temporal Lobe epileptics seem to have an extreme case.

Personally, I'm a Christian and, after watching the documentary, I'm of the belief that God has created us with this antenna in us that means we will always find him!

I'm really keen to hear other people's opinions!

[Wab]

Thing is if you take it on faith, you have to believe that woman was pregnant with Christ.

[courtneylee]

I don't think so. She had an experience to know what it was like to be part of the holy family. It's not like she still thinks her son is the Son of God.

But it's not necessarily about these extreme visions but just that physiologically there is a part of us that is receptive to God and Religion.

[~Tonks~]

I don't know so much if I agree. The articles discuss a brain disorder called temporal lobe epilepsy, which isn't something all people have. And also, what exactly is a "religious experience"? What if someone sees a flash of light, for example, what if they interpret it as seeing an alien? And do people who are very religious who don't have temporal lobe epilepsy get the same reactions to words and ideas suggestive of a religious nature as those who do have it? What about hallucinations caused by other disorders? Not to mention the temporal lobe controls some aspects of emotions...

But that's just my take on it.