Neurotheology is a new field of science that studies the neurobiology of religion and spirituality. There has been a spate of publications in the past few months on this subject. These range from: "Varieties of Anomalous Experience" (published by the American Psychological Association) covering enigmas like near-death experiences to 'Zen and the Brain' (MIT Press) by a renowned neurologist Dr. James Austin.

The Columbia University's new centre for the study of science and religion has a special programme that investigates how spiritual experiences reflect "peculiarly recurrent events in human brain".

What all this new research shares is a passion for uncovering the neurological underpinnings of spiritual and mystical experiences. In neurotheology, psychologists and neurologists try to pinpoint the regions that turn on or off, during a 'spiritual' experience. It suggests that since such experiences are so consistent across cultures, across time and across faith, there must be a common core in the structures and processes of the human brain.

Dr. Andrew Newberg of the University of Pennsylvania and his colleagues used brain-imaging technology to identify what seemed to be the brain's spirituality circuit. Dr Newberg's colleague, Dr. Baime, was a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhist meditation. Newberg made him sit on the floor of a small, darkened room, with a string of twine beside him. Dr. Baime focused on a mental image, quieting his conscious mind, until something he identified as his true inner self emerged. When he reached the "peak" of spiritual intensity, he tugged on the twine. Dr. Newberg immediately injected a radioactive dye into an IV line that ran into Baime's left arm. After a few moments, Baime was rushed to a nearby SPECT (single proton emission computed tomograph) machine. These SPECT images are as close as scientists have come to snapping a photo of a religious experience.

Expectedly the prefrontal cortex (seat of attention) was highlighted since Baime was focusing deeply. Neurons in the superior parietal lobe towards the top and back of the brain had gone dark. This region helps one orient in time and space. Specifically the left orientation area creates the sensation of a physically delimited body; the right orientation area creates the sense of the physical space in which the body exists. When sensory inputs to this region are blocked as during intense meditation, the brain is prevented from forming the distinction between self and non-self. The brain seem to have no choice but "to perceive the self as endless and intimately interwoven with everyone and everything." The right orientation area, equally bereft of sensory data, defaults to a feeling of infinite space.

The scientists also hypothesise that an image of an idol or a cross or any such religious symbol triggers a sense of religious awe because of the brain's visual-association area. This interprets what the eyes see and connects images to emotions and memories, linking those images to feelings. Visions that arise during prayer or ritual are also generated in the association area: electrical stimulation of the temporal lobes (responsible for languages, conceptual thinking and associations) produces visions. Temporal-lobe epilepsy takes this to extremes.Although some studies have cast doubt on the connection between temporal lobe epilepsy and religiosity, others find the condition to trigger vivid, religious visions and voices.

The experience of some people of hearing the voice of God may also have to do with electrical activity of the temporal lobes. It seems to arise when one misattributes inner speech (the 'little voice' in our head that we all know) to something outside oneself. During such experiences, the Broca's area in the brain (responsible for speech) switches on. Most of us can tell this is our inner voice speaking. But when sensory information is restricted, as happens during meditation or prayer, people are "more likely to misattribute internally generated thoughts to an external source" suggests psychologist Dr Richard Bentall of the University of Manchester, England in the book "Varieties of Anomalous Experience".

So, are all religious experiences just a matter of a few circuits in the brain getting activated and others going to sleep? Can a spiritual experience be within the experience of anyone as long as the right circuits are stimulated? Even with all the technology and tools they have, neurologists are clueless, so far.

Critics say that while neurotheology perhaps tells us new things about the circuits of the brain, it tells us nothing new about God. They also say that the main mistake made by these neurotheologians is that they identify religion with specific experiences and feelings. Also, the above experiments do not really answer if the neurological changes associated with spiritual experiences mean that the brain is causing these experiences or is simply perceiving a spiritual reality. In other words, seeing what the brain does during a religious experience does not necessarily tell us anything about religion - specifically whether or not God exists.

Similarly, many have at one time or the other experienced the dissolution of the boundaries of the self - and a corresponding sense of being at one with the cosmos. But such moments need not be religious. It could be while perceiving nature, or listening to an exquisite music concert. Thus, the most that neurobiologists can do is correlate certain experiences with certain brain activity. To suggest that the brain is the only source of experience would be very narrow -minded, ignoring the influence of other important factors such as the will, the external environment and, of course, the operations of divine grace.

The question of whether our brain wiring created God or whether God created our brain wiring will most likely remain purely a matter of faith.

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