Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
24th out of 37 books
—
11 voters
Born to Believe: God, Science, and the Origin of Ordinary and Extraordinary Beliefs
Born to Believe was previously published in hardcover as Why We Believe What We Believe.
Prayer...meditation...speaking in tongues. What do these spiritual activities share and how do they differ? Why do some people believe in God, while others embrace atheism? From the ordinary to the extraordinary, beliefs give meaning to the mysteries of life. They motivate us, provide u...more
Prayer...meditation...speaking in tongues. What do these spiritual activities share and how do they differ? Why do some people believe in God, while others embrace atheism? From the ordinary to the extraordinary, beliefs give meaning to the mysteries of life. They motivate us, provide u...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
October 2nd 2007
by Atria Books
(first published September 12th 2006)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
123)
Aug 16, 2010
Kimberly
added it
A more balanced summary of current research on brains and belief. It was actually a summary of a lot of related issues, some of which were only tangentially related to belief and many of which were about actual religious experience (they did brain scans of people who were speaking in tongues, for example). The authors went to great pains to insist that they weren't trying to disprove God or religious experience, for which I respect and appreciate them. Nevertheless... I bet they weren't believer...more
Wow I really loved this idea of the biological basis of our belief systems, and how it's shaped by the different parts of our lives.
I particularly enjoyed reading the brain scan results for the different meditators and religious experiences! It's just so lovely when they link psychological/ spiritual sensations with neuroscience. (The parietal, the frontal, the limbic system, even the thalamus.....etc)
I'm definitely going to remember the core messages and points in this book forever. :D
I particularly enjoyed reading the brain scan results for the different meditators and religious experiences! It's just so lovely when they link psychological/ spiritual sensations with neuroscience. (The parietal, the frontal, the limbic system, even the thalamus.....etc)
I'm definitely going to remember the core messages and points in this book forever. :D
Excellent book combining neuroscience and religion. That should be enough to intrigue you.
Have you ever asked yourself, "How could they BELIEVE that???" I'm fascinated by the crazy-assed things intelligent people believe, and I've wondered about it my whole life (well, at least since I entered Catholic school in the third grade!).
Well, the newest research in neuropsychology and evolutionary biology is revealing amazing things about how we think...and why. There's a lot published on this subject, and I've perused a lot of it...this is an excellent explanation of what scientists curren...more
Well, the newest research in neuropsychology and evolutionary biology is revealing amazing things about how we think...and why. There's a lot published on this subject, and I've perused a lot of it...this is an excellent explanation of what scientists curren...more
Full of fascinating experiments and insights into how the brain works and what that means for faith issues. Well structured and well-written.
Jul 19, 2007
Jrobertus
added it
the first part is good, where he describes brain experiments on mystics and maps out a basis for the feeling of 'one with the universe' . later they get all religious and suggest our brains may have a portal to god. rather unscientific i thought.
I couldn't even finish this book. The "science" in it was so sloppy.
May 20, 2013
Scott
marked it as to-read
May 17, 2013
Muhammad Ridha
is currently reading it
May 14, 2013
Muhammad Afif
is currently reading it
Apr 23, 2013
Benjamin Knoll
marked it as to-read
Mar 26, 2013
SeekerofHaq
marked it as to-read
Mar 15, 2013
Stephanie
marked it as to-read
Feb 24, 2013
Collegeboy123
marked it as to-read
Feb 19, 2013
زينب
marked it as to-read
Feb 08, 2013
Chris
marked it as to-read
Feb 04, 2013
Kimberly
marked it as to-read
Feb 02, 2013
Enoch
marked it as to-read
Jan 13, 2013
Jason Myers
marked it as to-read
Jan 01, 2013
Glen
marked it as to-read
Dec 22, 2012
Rachael Q.
marked it as to-read
Dec 22, 2012
Sabà Nuñez.Peterson
marked it as to-read
Dec 21, 2012
Tracey
is currently reading it
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Dr. Andrew Newberg is Director of Research at the Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Medical College. He is also Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He is Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Nuclear Medicine. He is considered a pioneer in the neuroscientific study of religiou...more
More about Andrew B. Newberg...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
