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Cerebral Blood Flow during Meditative Prayer: Preliminary Findings and Methodological Issues
Abstract
Meditative practices typically require several coordinated cognitive activities. This study measured changes in cerebral blood flow during "verbal" based meditation by Franciscan nuns involving the internal repetition of a particular phrase. These results are compared with those we previously described in eight Buddhist meditators who use a type of "visualization" technique. Three experienced practitioners of verbal meditation were injected via i.v. at rest with 260 MBq of Tc-99m HMPAO and scanned 30 min. later on a triple head SPECT camera for 45 min. Following the baseline scan, subjects meditated for approximately 40 min. at which time they were injected with 925 MBq of HMPAO while they continued to meditate for 10 min. more (total of 50 min. of meditation). The injection during meditation was designed not to disturb practice. Subjects were scanned 20 min. later for 30 min. Counts were obtained for regions of interest for major brain structures and normalized to whole-brain blood flow. Compared to baseline, mean verbal meditation scans showed increased blood flow in the prefrontal cortex (7.1%), inferior parietal lobes (6.8%), and inferior frontal lobes (9.0%). There was a strong inverse correlation between the blood flow, change in the prefrontal cortex and in the ipsilateral superior parietal lobe (p<.01). This study on a limited number of subjects demonstrated the feasibility of studying different types of meditation with neuroimaging techniques, suggested that several coordinated cognitive processes occur during meditation, and also raised important methodological issues.
... Den øgede SPL-aktivitet forklares ikke i rapporten, men det, at aktiviteten ikke mindskes som i meditationsforsøget, forklares med, at tungetale ikke nødvendigvis ophaever dikotomien mellem selv og andre. I et tredje forsøg (SPECT), hvor Newberg et al. (2003) undersøgte de neurale korrelater for recitation af en kristen bøn hos tre franciskanernonner, fandt de til gengaeld en omvendt korrelation mellem praefrontal aktivitet og SPL-aktiveringer over for kontrastopgaven, som var sammenlignelig med resultaterne fra meditationsstudiet. Men de betydelige forskelle mellem tungetale og meditation problematiserer Newberg og d'Aquilis antagelse om, at religiøse oplevelser som kategori bygger på veldefinerede universelle neurale korrelater og processer (d'Aquili & Newberg, 1999, 103). ...
Interessen for hjerneforskning har bredt sig til religionsvidenskaben, men en egentlig religionsvidenskabelig hjerneforskning er hæmmet af en utilstrækkelig viden om religion blandt hjerneforskere og en begrænset indsigt i feltets metodiske og fortolkningsmæssige problemer blandt religionsforskere. Denne artikel introducerer nogle af disse problemer og gennemgår de væsentligste studier på området. Det er afgørende, hvis feltet skal udvikles i fremtiden, at det teoretiske grundlag forbedres, så en neuroteologisk forestilling om den religiøse oplevelses unikke status erstattes med en moderne tilgang. Ved at antage, at religiøse strategier er konkrete mentale handlinger med neurale korrelater, der svarer til handlingens kognitive indhold, forsøger jeg med mit projekt at dreje disciplinen i retningen af en mindre kontroversiel og bedre funderet religionsvidenskabelig hjerneforskning
... Neurologists showed that the parietal area of the brain affects the sense of ''unity with the world'' (Soufian 2011). They believe that the brain structures of humans create spiritual passion (Newberg et al 2003). ...
The current study aims to examine the effect of age and gender of users on spirituality by using an experiment. Literature believes that age and gender have a huge effect on increased or decreased spirituality. The current study aims to examine these theories by a scientific and rational method and using cognitive neuroscience (recording electroencephalograph). In order to do this, an electroencephalograph was recorded for 45 users. Findings show that there is a significant relationship between age and gender of users and spirituality (F = 4.1, p < 0.05) (F = 3.8, p < 0.05). Results showed that users at older ages reached spirituality sooner. Thus, it can be said in regard to the relationship between age and formation/improvement of spirituality that users at older ages reach spirituality sooner than users at younger ages. Results of data analysis showed that alpha and theta brain signals increased in male students at the 30–35 age range; while this increase was slower at the 20–29 age range.
... The literature on spirituality supports the notion that spirituality is an innate feature of the human experience (Kendler et al. 1997;Muller 2008;Newberg and Newberg 2008). Neuroscience offers evidence of biological correlates of spiritual experience (Newberg et al. 2003;Miller et al. 2014;Miller et al. 2019), which strengthens the case for an innate spirituality, with expression that is simply shaped by culture. ...
This study investigates the lived-experience of spiritual life in contemporary USA, India, and China. A qualitative coding frame was constructed based on participant responses to open-ended questions regarding spirituality. Qualitative analysis was facilitated by the use of Dedoose, a mixed methods software. The exploratory approach of this study takes on a cross-culturally comparative lens, and has two primary questions: (1) What are the universal aspects of lived spirituality across cultures, and (2) How does culture shape spiritual experience (e.g., typology and prevalence)? A total of 6112 participants (41% women, mean age of 29 years, range 18-75 years) were recruited, and analysis was conducted on a subset of 900 participants. The primary thematic categories derived by content analysis included religion (religious traditions, religious conversion, religious professionals, religious figures "theophany," and religious forces "heirophany"), contemplative practice (meditation, mindful movement, prayer, and rituals), ancestors (ancestral worship, dreams about ancestors, and general mention of ancestors), natural world (animals, and nature), and metaphysical phenomena. Metaphysical categories were further parsed apart to include extrasensory perception (telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, realistic dreams, and intuitive impressions), psychokinesis, survival hypothesis (near death experiences, out of body experiences, and apparitional experiences), and faith and energy healing (recovery/remission of illness, and spiritual practitioners). Explanatory factors for similarities and differences across groups, and the origins of spirituality, are discussed.
Postmaterial spiritual psychology posits that consciousness can contribute to the unfolding of material events and that the human brain can detect broad, non-material communications. In this regard, this emerging field of postmaterial psychology marks a stark departure from psychology's traditional quantum measurements and tenets. The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality codifies the leading empirical evidence in the support and application of postmaterial psychological science. Sections in this volume include: personality and social psychology factors and implications; spiritual development and culture; spiritual dialogue, prayer, and intention in Western mental health; Eastern traditions and psychology; physical health and spirituality; positive psychology; and scientific advances and applications related to spiritual psychology. With articles from leading scholars in psychology, medicine, physics, and biology, this text is an interdisciplinary reference for a rapidly emerging approach to contemporary science.
This article reviews the neuroscientific understanding of the self and personal identity, focusing on various elements of inclusivity and exclusivity as well as engaging religious and spiritual perspectives. We will also consider how the identity is comprised of biological, social, and ideological or spiritual aspects, and how they are interconnected. We will consider how the brain helps us to construct and maintain our representation of the self and what happens when we have self‐transcendent experiences. Such an evaluation will have implications for understanding the intersection between consciousness and the self. This information will be helpful from both the psychological and spiritual perspective for understanding human identity.
Objective:
Religious behaviors are considered as complex brain-based phenomena that may be associated with structural brain change. To identify the pattern of regional brain volume change in nuns, we investigated structural alterations in the brains of nuns using a fast processing automated segmentation method based on deep learning algorithms.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the catholic sisters between the ages of 31 and 80 who are members of the charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Korea. A total of 193 asymptomatic subjects (86 nuns and 107 control subjects) received comprehensive health screening and underwent brain MRI scans. We compared cortical and sub-cortical volume between groups across multiple locations using our in-house U-Net++ deep learning-based automatic segmentation tool.
Results:
Compared to the control group, the nun group displayed increased gray matter volume in the right lingual cortex, left isthmus-cingulate, posterior-cingulate, rostral-middle-frontal, superior-frontal, supramarginal, temporal-pole cortices, and bilateral pars-triangularis cortices after correction for multiple comparisons. On the other hand, the nun group showed reduced gray matter volume in the temporal and parietal regions relative to healthy controls.
Conclusion:
Our study suggests that spiritual practice may affect brain structure, especially in several frontal regions involved in a higher level of insight function.
Background: Mental health concerns are climbing steadily on college campuses, and universities do not have the staffing and financial resources to address the overwhelming needs of students seeking counseling services. College counselors generally must place students on waitlists or refer them to external resources. Further, during the COVID-19 pandemic, university counselors have been working tirelessly to treat students through online formats. Alternative, online, evidence-based interventions offer college counselors a significant advantage in effectively treating their students. We seek to expand the empirical evidence for mindfulness interventions through online formats for the college population. We registered the study (ISRCTN13587045) at www.isrctn.com .
Objective: We examined the effectiveness of a unique online centering meditation and its impact on stress and trait mindfulness in the college population.
Methods: Through a randomized controlled trial, the treatment group participated in a 4-week intervention of centering for 10 min each morning and night. We measured stress and mindfulness in both groups through the Perceived Stress Scale and Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks.
Results: The centering meditation treatment had a statistically significant positive impact on stress and mindfulness compared to a waitlist control group. The meditation group had an average of 64% adherence rate.
Conclusion: The study findings indicate that individuals who participate in a 4-week online centering intervention showed improved levels of stress and trait mindfulness over time.
Clinical Trial Registration: WHO International Clinical Registry Platform, identifier: ISRCTN13587045.
A review of the relationship between religious belief and psychological health. Despite gradually becoming important in the world, psychology of religion can be considered as a burgeoning scientific field in our country. Increasing studies on religiosity and mental health will give us the opportunity to deepen our insight into these issues. In these studies different aspects of religiosity variable are addressed. In our study we reviewed the studies conducted on the relationship between religiosity and mental health and tried to arrive at certain conclusions. We grouped the studies on the base of several religiosity variables. Religiosity variables consisted of prayer/church attendance, subjective religiosity, religious orientations, religious coping strategies, god image and spirituality. The main conclusion we drew from the reviewed studies was that religiosity variables were associated with mental health variable and that religious believes could not be neglected in mental health issues. Finally, we offered some suggestions to researchers for future studies. key words Religiousness, psychological health, God image, spirituality, religious coping © Toplum Bilimleri • Temmuz-Aralık 2010 • 4 (8) : 95-105
The current thesis attempts to identify the influential factors on the “sense of spirituality” in the architecture of mosques using a scientific method, and, regarding the creation/promotion of peace and sense of spirituality by the method of recording brain signals, this study aims to analyze the psychological effects of physical components (the statues of the dome pattern) in the architecture of religious environments. The current research method is the mixed method as analytical-descriptive and survey method through a questionnaire in the first section. In the next section, the research method is the simulation and laboratory methods as well as using software and device for recording the users' brain signals. First, the literature review was implemented and the factors affecting the spiritual sense were identified and then via compiling a questionnaire (online) and investigating its reliability and validity; by distributing the questionnaire among the statistical community of experts in the field of Islamic architecture and environmental psychology; these factors were confirmed and prioritized by ANP method. The sampling method was targeted, and the sample size was 38 experts. The physical section (the dome pattern position) and the sensory factors (color) section were the priority in each section. The different states of the dome roles in the religious built environments were investigated in the literature of the current field, and five common patterns were achieved in this type of space. After simulating these five patterns in the 3D Max software, the images were shown to the users from different angles (to create mindfulness) by the monitor in a quiet environment to identify the best option among the simulated images. Then, their psychological effects on the audiences’ minds were recorded and measured using an EEG device. Eventually, the best option was considered to study the data. The consent was obtained from the users before experimenting. Then, the “general health” questionnaire was distributed among them. The sample size in the third section was determined using the convenience sampling method (random), and 45 people were selected. On the confirmation of the spiritual feelings and controlling and the validity of the experiment, sensory factor (color) was used based on the processing of the brain signals. Data analysis was presented in the form of two descriptive and inferential methods. The final data were investigated using two-way ANOVA to identify the significance of the components. The secondary findings show that there is a significant relationship between the gender and age of the users in creating a sense of spirituality (p<0.05). The total results indicate that the psychological effects of the physical and sensory factors in the architecture of the mosques are influential in creating or improving the sense of spirituality and have significant relationships (p<0.05). Moreover, some of the sensory components with other physical components generate “mindfulness”, and consequently, a sense of spirituality. In other words, the color depends on the form in creating a sense of spirituality (p< 0.05).
The present study tries analyzing the psychological effects of such an indicator as form (dome’s pattern) in architectural designing of the religious environments like mosques so as to investigate the creation/enhancement of spiritual sense and come up with the best pattern for the construction of such environments in an order of priority. The study makes use of a combined analysis method in such a way that a descriptive-analytical method has been applied in the first section followed by simulations in the second section and, then, laboratory method in the third part through taking advantage of instruments for recording the users’ brain waves (EEG/QEEG). taking an unfamiliar and irregular form into account for the constructed religious environments like mosques can adversely and unpleasantly influence the addressees’ feelings and the negligence of this matter would cause the creation of an environment with such unfavorable features. Furthermore, in regard of the successful form for construction of the religious environments, the first, the third, the fourth, the second and finally the fifth patterns can be introduced in an order of priority.
The potential of anatomic imaging to improve the quantitative accuracy of functional brain imaging through refined regional definition is widely accepted. However, there are little data addressing the impact of approach to regional localization on quantitation of metabolic images in the absence of gross structural pathology. We compared MRI-based versus PET-based approaches to the analysis of PET 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) images using a standard adjustable template based on simple geometric regions. For the MRI-based approach, templates and individual regions were adjusted to each individual's anatomy, whereas the PET-based definition involved only global proportional adjustment of the standard templates. Metabolic rates for glucose and volume-to-whole brain ratios were determined by two operators for 78 volumes of interest in five subjects. Pairwise correlations indicated high interoperator agreement for each approach and high intraoperator agreement for MRI-based versus PET-based metabolic values. The stability of the metabolic rates and ratios among operators and analysis approaches was supported by low coefficients of variation across measurements and small average differences in paired comparisons. Thus, within the current spatial resolution of PET imaging, quantitation of metabolic images is relatively robust to image analysis approach in the absence of gross structural abnormality. To take advantage of the greater quantitative accuracy promised by high-resolution anatomic and functional imaging, more refined delineation of anatomic images will be necessary.
The vectorial hemisphericity concept predicts that endorsements of beliefs in paranormal phenomena are associated with elevated subcortical (complex partial epileptic-like signs) temporal lobe experiences while endorsements of religious beliefs are associated with experiences of the right (cortical) hemispheric equivalent (the sensed presence) of the linguistic sense of self. Partial correlation analyses, which removed the expected shared variance, supported this hypothesis for 400 men and 400 women; religious affiliation did not contribute any statistically significant influence. However, agreements with extreme religious beliefs, such as killing others in God's name, were associated with weekly church attendance and were primarily endorsed by men but not by women.
Positron emission tomographic (PET) studies of human attention have begun to dissect isolable components of this complex higher brain function, including a midline attentional system in a region of the anterior cingulate cortex. The right hemisphere may play a special part in human attention; neglect, an important phenomenon associated with damage to attentional systems, is more severe, extensive and long-lasting after lesions to the right hemisphere. Here we use PET measurements of brain blood flow in healthy subjects to identify changes in regional brain activity during simple visual and somatosensory tasks of sustained attention or vigilance. We find localized increases in blood flow in the prefrontal and superior parietal cortex primarily in the right hemisphere, regardless of the modality or laterality of sensory input. The anterior cingulate was not activated during either task. These data localize the vigilance aspects of normal human attention to sensory stimuli, thereby clarifying the biology underlying asymmetries of attention to such stimuli that have been reported in clinical lesions.