Mystic Politics

No ‘God Spot’ In Brain, Spirituality Linked To Right Parietal Lobe

“We have found a neuropsychological basis for spirituality, but it’s not isolated to one specific area of the brain. Spirituality is a much more dynamic concept that uses many parts of the brain. Certain parts of the brain play more predominant roles, but they all work together to facilitate individuals’ spiritual experiences.”

Gary Lachman: Why You Should Know Emanuel Swedenborg

‘The 18th century Swedish scientist, traveller, statesman, and religious philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg is one of the most fascinating and least understood figures in western history.’

Research into brain’s ‘God spot’ reveals areas of brain involved in religious belief

‘Scientists searching for a ‘God spot’ in the brain have found three areas that control religious belief.’

Is God dead -or rebooting? Is religion dying -or reinventing?

‘For decades, Americans have been turning toward spirituality as a protest vote against conventional religion. In the last dozen years, American religious institutions have undergone a myriad of crises—abuse scandals, conflicts, schism, and partisan political entanglement, to name a few—resulting in a great religious recession.’

In the Spirit of Activism: When Politics and Religion Intersect

‘Last Tuesday, as clergy members and labor activists lined up at First United Methodist Church in Downtown Madison for a joint march to the Capitol to protest limits on public sector collective bargaining, their sometimes delicate partnership was evident.’

Rethinking the soul as the Internet becomes more lifelike http://mys.tc/1rk technology religion science spirit

Kopimism & Techno-Pagans: Rethinking the soul as the Internet becomes more lifelike

‘Does the Internet have a soul? The question occurred to me as I spent an hour browsing the Web, and on inspection, it seemed to me not entirely nutty. Technology is changing the way we think about all kinds of theological concepts, such as community, prayer, ritual and worship. Why should it not expand our definition of “soul”?’

Where Do ‘Sacred’ Values Live in the Brain?

‘It matters what we believe and why we believe it. Not just in terms of religious identification, not just for deciding what and how we do things in our day-to-day lives, but also in relation to politics. Take such monumental policy decisions as those regarding health care, or the military. Do we go with what we feel is right and wrong, or—as is the more commonly understood basis for such policy decisions—do we do what will be best for the most people? How about suicide bombers? Why are they willing to lose their lives for their beliefs? Now, we can begin to better understand the mechanisms of such decisions by combining expertise in religion, philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, economics, and even genetics.’

Deepak Chopra: A Review Of The Tree of Life - The Trials of Job and the Grace of Mary http://mys.tc/1q1 cinema spirit faith

Science And Religion: Can Science Be Sacred?

‘“Spiritual But Not Religious” is the way many people describe themselves these days. It’s a term that drives a lot of others crazy. For those who happily describe themselves as religious, “Spiritual But Not Religious” can imply a dilution of faith and a rejection of the creed and doctrine which, for them, is an essential aspect of spiritual life. Yet, for people who happily describe themselves as atheist, “Spiritual But Not Religious” is a dodge — an attempt to get “the warm cozy feeling” of religious life without making the intellectual commitment to what they see as the central question: Does God exist?’