George4thought : Are humans hard-wired for faith?

(excerpt from CNN)

"I just know God is with me. I can feel Him always," a young Haitian woman once told me.
"I've meditated and gone to another place I can't describe. Hours felt like mere minutes. It was an indescribable feeling of peace," recalled a CNN colleague.

"I've spoken in languages I've never learned. It was God speaking through me," confided a relative.

The accounts of intense religious and spiritual experiences are topics of fascination for people around the world. It's a mere glimpse into someone's faith and belief system. It's a hint at a person's intense connection with God, an omniscient being or higher plane. Most people would agree the experience of faith is immeasurable.

Dr. Andrew Newberg, neuroscientist and author of "Why We Believe What We Believe," wants to change all that. He's working on ways to track how the human brain processes religion and spirituality. It's all part of new field called neurotheology.

When we think of religious and spiritual beliefs and practices, we see a tremendous similarity across practices and across traditions."

The frontal lobe, the area right behind our foreheads, helps us focus our attention in prayer and meditation.

The parietal lobe, located near the backs of our skulls, is the seat of our sensory information. Newberg says it's involved in that feeling of becoming part of something greater than oneself.
The limbic system, nestled deep in the center, regulates our emotions and is responsible for feelings of awe and joy.

Newberg calls religion the great equalizer and points out that similar areas of the brain are affected during prayer and meditation. Newberg suggests that these brain scans may provide proof that our brains are built to believe in God. He says there may be universal features of the human mind that actually make it easier for us to believe in a higher power. click here (more)

(My Take)

Some statements in this article may sound rediculous but to some it is one more step for them away from God. I have always wondered why now? Everytime i read an article on health or a movie its all about faith and religion. Why? Quick money? Yes and the more rediculous you sound the more attention you get.

As you can see in this article we can find we are hardwired to believe in a higher power. Its so amazing the kind of mysteries that God has in store for us. He actually made the brain which contains more than 100 billion nurons linked, if taken out my stretch across the room, folded it in such a way and kept it inside a protective shield (the skull). If you wanna read about the amazing facts on the brain go and check online 'coz there is loads and loads to just write about it.

Why did God made the brain so complex? I hope it answers the article.