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Thomas Jefferson University Jefferson Digital Commons
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Brind, Jefferson Myrna |
| Copyright Year | 2015 |
| Abstract | Part of the Medical Sciences Commons This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Jefferson Digital Commons. The Jefferson Digital Commons is a service of Thomas Jefferson University's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). The Commons is a showcase for Jefferson books and journals, peer-reviewed scholarly publications, unique historical collections from the University archives, and teaching tools. The Jefferson Digital Commons allows researchers and interested readers anywhere in the world to learn about and keep up to date with Jefferson scholarship. The purpose of this paper will be to provide a perspective on the current state of the research evaluating the neurobiological correlates of spiritual practices and review the methodological issues that confront this research field. There are many types of spiritual practices that might be studied including prayer and meditation, as well as unusual practices such as mediumistic trance states, speaking in tongues, and also drug-induced experiences. Current studies have utilized neuroimaging techniques including functional magnetic resonance imaging, single photon emission computed tomography, and positron emission tomography.These studies have helped elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms associated with spiritual practices. Such studies confront unique challenges for scientific methodology including determining the most appropriate objective measures such as neuroimaging studies and physiological parameters, and correlating them with subjective measures that help capture states of spiritual significance. Overall, a neuroscientific study of spiritual practices and experiences has the potential to provide fascinating data to further our understanding of the relationship between the brain and such phenomena. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=jmbcim_protocols |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=jmbcimfp |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1039&context=skmccommencement |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
