Psychology & Neuroscience, Vol 17(4), Dec 2024, 282-301; doi:10.1037/pne0000348Objective: Neurophysiological correlates of religious experiences in worship were analyzed. Method: Sixty evangelical worshippers were recruited for recording religious worship experiences using electroencephalogram. Experimental conditions included resting state, religious and secular songs (both participant selected and researcher provided), a nonmusic condition, and a disturbing 12-tone song. Participants continuously rated their sense of God’s presence using a bar slider. Results: Three hypotheses were confirmed: (1) Religious songs induced greater neurophysiological activation than secular ones, (2) activation was stronger when participants selected the religious song, and (3) stronger religious experiences correlated with enhanced attentional mechanisms and emotional reactions. The study found notable activation in occipital regions but did not support the prevalent temporal involvement and executive inhibition hypotheses. Findings suggested a distinction between religious experience (subjective divine perception) and the religious element (content). Religious experiences were stronger with self-selected songs. Secular songs showed more upper δ and lower θ waves during stronger experiences, indicating relaxation. In the religious condition, upper θ and lower α bands were more active, suggesting heightened focus and awareness, akin to meditation. Conclusions: Results align with the Feedback Loop Model for Religious Experiences, which posits that religious elements and self-selection enhance experiences. Generally, religious conditions showed more upper β activations and less lower α frequencies compared with secular ones, indicating sustained attention and active thinking under religious influence. The study’s unique contribution lies in its novel experimental approach, distinguishing between experiential aspects and religious content and the unexpected involvement of the occipital lobe. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
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This post is Copyright: | September 9, 2024