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Brain differences found between believers in God and non-believers

mikkel_the_dane

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
Quester said:
Well, if you are "looking for answers," for YOU it's a need. For those who simply don't want to hear it, and wish to remain in their hallucinogenic world, it doesn't matter.
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Well, I am a skeptic, so tell me what kinds of questions and answer I need?
 
Kathryn

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.
Quester said:
Yes, but practice makes perfect. As you go along, you learn, get better, and it just keeps going.
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But as I said earlier, even though I am pretty smart, I don't believe I'm smarter than the cumulative knowledge in the world today.
 
sun rise

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
firedragon said:
But the OP shows a psychological effect which makes it better, not a drug that ruins society. Thus, your statement is old, cliche, and irrelevant to modern society where there is more extensive research and not just conjecture.
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I agree. It seems that some people have a problem with research that to me shows something expected - that beliefs have an impact on the brain.

PS: It's nice to see you back.
 
Heyo

Heyo

Veteran Member
We Never Know said:
Interesting....

Brain differences found between believers in God and non-believers


Summary: Believing in God can help block anxiety and minimize stress, according to new research that shows distinct brain differences between believers and non-believers.

"Compared to non-believers, the religious participants showed significantly less activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a portion of the brain that helps modify behavior by signaling when attention and control are needed, usually as a result of some anxiety-producing event like making a mistake.

The stronger their religious zeal and the more they believed in God, the less their ACC fired in response to their own errors, and the fewer errors they made.

"You could think of this part of the brain like a cortical alarm bell that rings when an individual has just made a mistake or experiences uncertainty," says lead author Inzlicht, who teaches and conducts research at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

"We found that religious people or even people who simply believe in the existence of God show significantly less brain activity in relation to their own errors. They're much less anxious and feel less stressed when they have made an error."

These correlations remained strong even after controlling for personality and cognitive ability, says Inzlicht, who also found that religious participants made fewer errors on the Stroop task than their non-believing counterparts.

Their findings show religious belief has a calming effect on its devotees, which makes them less likely to feel anxious about making errors or facing the unknown.

But Inzlicht cautions that anxiety is a "double-edged sword" which is at times necessary and helpful.

"Obviously, anxiety can be negative because if you have too much, you're paralyzed with fear," he says.

"However, it also serves a very useful function in that it alerts us when we're making mistakes. If you don't experience anxiety when you make an error, what impetus do you have to change or improve your behaviour so you don't make the same mistakes again and again?"

The paper, appearing online in Psychological Science, was co-authored by Dr. Ian McGregor at York University, and by Jacob Hirsh and Kyle Nash, doctoral candidates at the University of Toronto and York University, respectively."

www.sciencedaily.com

Brain differences found between believers in God and non-believers

Believing in God can help block anxiety and minimize stress, according to new research that shows distinct brain differences between believers and non-believers.
www.sciencedaily.com
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As @Brickjectivity pointed out, it needs repetition before I accept it as settled, but it is an interesting study non-the-less.
It explains how believers can live with contradictions without feeling cognitive dissonance, and it explains how believers are unable to learn from mistakes - or just don't realize their mistakes.
I've for a long time suspected that there must be a mechanism that allows believers to behave like they do, but haven't imagined it to be this.
But let's wait for confirmation - or falsification, like the "god region of the brain".
 
firedragon

firedragon

Veteran Member
sun rise said:
I agree. It seems that some people have a problem with research that to me shows something expected - that beliefs have an impact on the brain.

PS: It's nice to see you back.
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It's nice to see the veterans whom I have seen for a number of years my friend. Thank you so much. Hope you are doing as great as you should.
 
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