Physical changes in brain linked to altered spirituality

Physical changes in brain linked to altered spirituality.

Damage to specific parts of the brain boosted levels of spiritual thinking and feeling in patients, a finding that adds new insight into the connection between religious attitudes and the physical makeup of the mind, researchers say.

The researchers studied what happened before and after brain surgery to the levels of “self-transcendence” in patients. The study authors defined self-transcendence as spiritual feeling, thinking and behaviors, and explained that it reflects a sense of oneness with the universe and a decreased sense of self.

According to the report, damage to the left and right posterior parietal regions of the brain led to an increase in self-transcendence.