God and mental illness

I came across this from a Newsweek article that I found online entitled Religion and the Brain in case you guys are interested. The Newberg quoted is Andrew Newberg. ~Shoe

That said, just because an experience has a neural correlate does not mean that the experience exists "only" in the brain, or that it is a figment of brain activity with no independent reality. Think of what happens when you dig into an apple pie. The brain's olfactory region registers the aroma of the cinnamon and fruit. The somatosensory cortex processes the feel of the flaky crust on the tongue and lips. The visual cortex registers the sight of the pie. Remembrances of pies past (Grandma's kitchen, the corner bake shop...) activate association cortices. A neuroscientist with too much time on his hands could undoubtedly produce a PET scan of "your brain on apple pie." But that does not negate the reality of the pie. "The fact that spiritual experiences can be associated with distinct neural activity does not necessarily mean that such experiences are mere neurological illusions," Newberg insists.

I don't believe these types of experiences are only in the brain, that they have a source outside the brain. My brain scrambles to find that source and to find meaning in these experiences and, often enough, it throws me for a loop especially when I am "delusional." This misinterpretation doesn't mean there isn't an external source for the perceptions.

I believe that is also the point that Newberg is making. Here is that whole paragraph from the article :

That was how author Sophy Burnham described her experience at Machu Picchu, in her 1997 book "The Ecstatic Journey." Although there was no scientist around to whisk her into a SPECT machine and confirm that her orientation area was AWOL, it was almost certainly quiescent. That said, just because an experience has a neural correlate does not mean that the experience exists "only" in the brain, or that it is a figment of brain activity with no independent reality. Think of what happens when you dig into an apple pie. The brain's olfactory region registers the aroma of the cinnamon and fruit. The somatosensory cortex processes the feel of the flaky crust on the tongue and lips. The visual cortex registers the sight of the pie. Remembrances of pies past (Grandma's kitchen, the corner bake shop...) activate association cortices. A neuroscientist with too much time on his hands could undoubtedly produce a PET scan of "your brain on apple pie." But that does not negate the reality of the pie. "The fact that spiritual experiences can be associated with distinct neural activity does not necessarily mean that such experiences are mere neurological illusions," Newberg insists. "It's no safer to say that spiritual urges and sensations are caused by brain activity than it is to say that the neurological changes through which we experience the pleasure of eating an apple cause the apple to exist." The bottom line, he says, is that "there is no way to determine whether the neurological changes associated with spiritual experience mean that the brain is causing those experiences... or is instead perceiving a spiritual reality."

You can find the whole article here :
http://www.newsweek.com/2001/05/06/r...the-brain.html

William James defined spirituality as an attempt to live in harmony with the unseen order.
I think there is something to that for what it is worth ~ Shoe

Here is a link to a pdf file that has an interesting essay entitled The Mind, The Brain, and God by Rick Hanson. It was put out by the people at wisebrain.org

http://rickhanson.net/wp-content/files/WBB4.4-5.pdf

I came across this today. It fits the subject of this thread ~ Shoe

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archive...-or-psychotic/

Interesting..
Thanks.

Jesus told me that "I would die 11 days after my gf loses her innocence" for whatever that's worth. I know it's just myself being not right but echos almost every day.

i very much believe there is a spiritual dimension and people can get in touch with either a good spirit or some really creepy spirits. most of the weird stuff people hear--the ones who really are hearing things and not making stuff up--are from the creepy spirits. they will tell you stuff just like this:

while i'm not crazy about this website in general you can read some pretty amazing stories here. here is one about a former psychic. here's another interesting one of a woman hearing from spirits.

fyi: the above are from a christian site but the stories are really quite interesting.

my experience and what I've read,heard and conversed with other skitzos is that your mind when in a psychosis experiences delusions that are manifested through basic belief systems.good vs evil , God vs the devil vs you or your family, the government vs you , the police and you vs the government ,you vs the church and the police, Aliens and the government ,Aliens and God,Angles and God.Angles and you and the government and Aliens and the church etc.So I believe your mind seeks making some sort of order why things have gone a rye while trying to escape situational trauma and in the confusion of all this you are truly delusional and psychotic.I have found a cognitive and simple way to defuse and break all delusions.I will share this what I call "the Spock logic Jedi mind trick" which will help 100% with those that ask me personally

I'm game

(((((ALL of you))))))my son has paranoid schiz and is gravely disabled.I cant see him getting better and im his mom.I feel like a failure.He is 20...in prison...wont let me visit.Big long painful story..............WLFTW...he said you have to ask him personally.>.<

I thought maybe I was God once during an extreme manic episode. Then I was worried that I really screwed up the world.