Wired For God?
2010
First Published
3.56
Average Rating
352
Number of Pages
Human religious experiences are remarkably uniform; many can be pharmacologically induced. Recent research into the neurology of religious experience has shown that, when worshipping or praying, a certain part of the brain, apparently dormant during other activities, becomes active. What does all this mean for those of faith and those with none? In this fascinating book barrister Charles Foster takes a survey of the evidence—from shamans to medieval mystics, to out-of-body experiences and epilepsy, via Jerusalem and middle-class Christianity—and assesses its significance. Written in short, accessible chapters, this is a fascinating tour of religious and mystical experiences and their relation to human physiology.
Avg Rating
3.56
Number of Ratings
32
5 STARS
19%
4 STARS
38%
3 STARS
31%
2 STARS
6%
1 STARS
6%
goodreads
Author
Charles Foster
Author · 10 books
Charles Foster is a Fellow of Green Templeton College at the University of Oxford. He is a qualified veterinarian, teaches medical law and ethics, and is a practicing barrister. Much of his life has been spent on expeditions: he has run a 150-mile race in the Sahara, skied to the North Pole, and suffered injuries in many desolate and beautiful landscapes. He has written on travel, evolutionary biology, natural history, anthropology, and philosophy.
