Slide Purpose of Beliefs Organize the world in meaningful ways Provide a sense of self Assist in initiating behavior / actions Facilitate accomplishment of goals Regulate emotional centers of brain Allow us to socialize with others Guide moral and educational pursuits Heal the body and mind Slide Table of Contents Components of Beliefs Memory and Beliefs The Neurobiology of Beliefs Beliefs over the Lifespan Nuns, Buddhists, and an Atheist Health Benefits In Conclusion References Slide - Objective #27 Identify the role of perceptions, cognitions, emotions, and social consensus in forming beliefs Slide - Components of Belief Perceptions Cognitions Emotional Value Social Consensus Page 1 of 10
Slide - QUESTION Of all the beliefs you have, which one would be the most disturbing to give up if you found out that it wasn t true? Slide - Objective #28 Discuss the nature of the relationship between memory and belief systems Slide - Memory and Beliefs Memory is a neural belief Media attention increases emotional response Slide - The Construction of Memory Memory is constructed and is therefore fallible Schemas Perceptual Sets Elizabeth Loftus Misinformation Effect Source Confusion Imagination Inflation Slide - Objective #29 Describe the neurobiological basis of beliefs by discussing the roles of various structures and regions in the brain Page 2 of 10
Slide - The Cortex on Beliefs Frontal Lobe (blue) o R. Prefrontal Cortex Logic / Reason / Beliefs Accept / Reject / Revise Temporal Lobe (green) o Language center o Visual Processing Parietal Lobe (yellow) o Orientation Areas Sense another presence Timelessness Decreased sense of self Slide - The Limbic System on Beliefs Amygdala o Emotional center Thalamus o Reality center o Regulates sensory info Hippocampus o Formation of memory Slide - Neurotransmitters and Beliefs Dopamine Religious activity increases levels in the brain Skeptics injected with dopamine increased interpretation of experiences Seratonin Regulates emotion, behavior, and thoughts Page 3 of 10
Slide - Miracle or not? Region(s) of brain activated Reinforces the beliefs or not Interpreted as a miracle / a sign Unless it s not accepted to view it as such Slide - A Lifetime of Believing Slide - Beliefs in Childhood There are not Muslim children There are not Christian children There are not Jewish children Slide - A Comparison Jewish children are more likely to represent God symbolically Christian children are more likely to represent God as a person Slide - Religion and Childhood Beliefs Punitive God internalize anxious or destructive thoughts Forgiving God give sense of optimism and safety Religious teachings help children to establish fundamental beliefs Children in fundamentalist families More self-righteous More prejudiced More likely to condemn people outside of their own group(s) Page 4 of 10
Slide - Beliefs in Adolescence 60% American Teens consider religion important 40% pray daily or attend weekly service Slide - Beliefs in the 20s to 30s Increased interest Slide Religion declines After 30 o o o Neural activity declines Lose plasticity Ability to form new ideas declines Slide - Beliefs in 50s and beyond Increase in religious importance o Desire for social connectedness Slide - Beliefs and Education High school highest level of education 92% believe in God Negative correlation with college Each year results in a decline in religious beliefs Less likely to believe in hell or the devil Page 5 of 10
Slide - Nuns, Buddhists, and an Atheist Slide - The Study of Nuns Centering Prayer Increased frontal and temporal lobe activity Slide - The Study of Buddhists Frontal lobe Right hemisphere activity Apply meaning Interpretation Rhythm of speech Inferior Temporal Lobe Imagery Slide - Nuns and Buddhists Both had decreased parietal activity Orientation area Loss or suspension of self awareness Loss of space and time Both had asymmetrical thalamus 8 weeks of meditation can produce same effect Both had increased thalamus activity Slide - The Study of an Atheist Decrease in frontal lobe activity (different than the Nuns and Buddhists) Thalamus asymmetry Decreased parietal lobe Page 6 of 10
Slide - Neural Circuit of Beliefs Thalamus relays information from the senses Frontal Lobe interprets information from senses Hippocampus forms new memories and is actively involved in retrieving memory Amygdala involved in emotional processing Slide - Objective #30 Assess the relationship between happiness and belief systems Slide - Beliefs and Health Index of Core Spiritual Experience Correlates with increased life purpose and satisfaction Correlates with a decrease in medical symptoms Slide - Beliefs and Happiness Top 10% o Highly social o Stronger relationships o More extraverted o More aggressive o Less neurotic Did not differ on o Exercise o Religious activity o Positive life events Page 7 of 10
Slide - Other Research Atheists report lower divorce rates But also lower rates of marriage Atheists report higher levels of stress and lower levels of life satisfaction than evangelicals Religious persons are more racist and more likely to be intolerant of other religions Slide - And More Research People who attend service regularly have a lower chance of dying in a given year People who belief in a loving god fare better after diagnosis than those who belief in a punitive god HIV patients that report being spiritual have higher CD4 counts Slide - Really More Research Those who never attend church are 2 times more likely to die in the next 8 years than those who attend 1 x / week or more People in religion are more likely to rely on others for social support In economic downturns Those who give help fare better than those that don t People who believe life have meaning live longer Page 8 of 10
Slide Criticisms Do not clearly define terms Interpreted by individual Spiritual is an inclusive term Includes optimism, pleasure, peacefulness, forgiveness, kindness as indicators Distinction between religious and non-religious is blurred Misinterpret data Slide - More Criticisms Statistical significance is small Data used to support position on issue Internal Validity Religion vs. social interaction, meaning in life, coping mechanisms Self-reports Optimistically biased Ignore unhealthy behaviors Slide - In conclusion The God Gene Multiple Gene factors Genes are only a small part of the picture Religion is subjectively, culturally, and socially transmitted Humanism Universal aspects of nature Love Compassion Connectedness Page 9 of 10
Slide References Kluger, J. (2009, February 23). Biology of Belief. Time 173, 62-72. Newberg, A. and Waldman, M.R. (2006). Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth. New York: Free Press. Page 10 of 10