Do religious experiences come from God, or are they merely the random firing of neurons in the brain? Drawing on his own research with Carmelite nuns, neuroscientist Mario Beauregard shows that genuine, life-changing spiritual events can be documented. He offers compelling evidence that religious experiences have a nonmaterial origin, making a convincing case for what many in scientific fields are loath to consider—that it is God who creates our spiritual experiences, not the brain. 
Beauregard and O'Leary explore recent attempts to locate a "God gene" in some of us and claims that our brains are "hardwired" for religion—even the strange case of one neuroscientist who allegedly invented an electromagnetic "God helmet" that could produce a mystical experience in anyone who wore it. The authors argue that these attempts are misguided and narrow-minded, because they reduce spiritual experiences to material phenomena. 
Many scientists ignore hard evidence that challenges their materialistic prejudice, clinging to the limited view that our experiences are explainable only by material causes, in the obstinate conviction that the physical world is the only reality. But scientific materialism is at a loss to explain irrefutable accounts of mind over matter, of intuition, willpower, and leaps of faith, of the "placebo effect" in medicine, of near-death experiences on the operating table, and of psychic premonitions of a loved one in crisis, to say nothing of the occasional sense of oneness with nature and mystical experiences in meditation or prayer. Traditional science explains away these and other occurrences as delusions or misunderstandings, but by exploring the latest neurological research on phenomena such as these, The Spiritual Brain gets to their real source.

The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul

BEAUREGARD, MARIO

O'Leary, Denyse

Reference

HarperOne

Do religious experiences come from God, or are they merely the random firing of neurons in the brain? Drawing on his own research with Carmelite nuns, neuroscientist Mario Beauregard shows that genuine, life-changing spiritual events can be documented. He offers compelling evidence that religious experiences have a nonmaterial origin, making a convincing case for what many in scientific fields are loath to consider—that it is God who creates our spiritual experiences, not the brain. Beauregard and O'Leary explore recent attempts to locate a "God gene" in some of us and claims that our brains are "hardwired" for religion—even the strange case of one neuroscientist who allegedly invented an electromagnetic "God helmet" that could produce a mystical experience in anyone who wore it. The authors argue that these attempts are misguided and narrow-minded, because they reduce spiritual experiences to material phenomena. Many scientists ignore hard evidence that challenges their materialistic prejudice, clinging to the limited view that our experiences are explainable only by material causes, in the obstinate conviction that the physical world is the only reality. But scientific materialism is at a loss to explain irrefutable accounts of mind over matter, of intuition, willpower, and leaps of faith, of the "placebo effect" in medicine, of near-death experiences on the operating table, and of psychic premonitions of a loved one in crisis, to say nothing of the occasional sense of oneness with nature and mystical experiences in meditation or prayer. Traditional science explains away these and other occurrences as delusions or misunderstandings, but by exploring the latest neurological research on phenomena such as these, The Spiritual Brain gets to their real source.

What Are Newton's Laws of Motion? (Shaping Modern Science)

This exciting book examines how Sir Isaac Newton developed three basic laws that govern the way in which objects move. Readers will learn how Newton expanded on the work of other great scientists, including Galileo and Copernicus, to make his important discovery. The book also explains how Newtons laws have influenced modern science and technology in areas such as sports and transportation.

Children's Books

Science, Nature & How It Works

Crabtree Pub Co

Examines how Sir Isaac Newton developed three basic laws that govern the way in which objects move. This book helps readers learn how Newton expanded on the work of other great scientists, including Galileo and Copernicus, to make his important discovery.

Crabtree Classics

Writing in an accessible journalistic style, Denyse O'Leary guides the reader on a fascinating journey through the world of Intelligent Design and Darwinian evolution. The author approached this subject at the beginning ''with no clear convictions about it, nor any desire to enter a controversy.'' What emerged on these pages is a well-organized and clear introduction to the basic question of life's origins: What is life, and how did it come about? Did the universe arise by chance, or was it designed? 
By Design or by Chance is a fresh intellectual breeze that clears away much of the smog and dust obscuring core issues surrounding the origin of life. From cosmology to theology, from the philosophy of science to the text of Genesis, O'Leary addresses all with refreshing clarity.

By Design or By Chance? The Growing Controversy on the Origins of Life in the Universe

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Christian Books & Bibles

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Does religious experience come from God, or is it just the random firing of neurons in the brain? Drawing on brain research on Carmelite nuns that has attracted major media attention and provocative new research in near-death experiences, The Spiritual Brain proves that genuine, life-changing spiritual events can be documented. The authors make a convincing case for what many in science are loathe to consider—that it is God who creates our spiritual experiences, not the brain. Challenging the conclusions of such books as Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion and Daniel C. Dennett's Breaking the Spell, this book will be of interest to readers on both sides of a hot-button issue at the meeting place of science and faith.

Beauregard Ph.D., Mario

Tantor Audio

Does religious experience come from God, or is it just the random firing of neurons in the brain? Drawing on brain research on Carmelite nuns that has attracted major media attention and provocative new research in near-death experiences, The Spiritual Brain proves that genuine, life-changing spiritual events can be documented. The authors make a convincing case for what many in science are loathe to consider—that it is God who creates our spiritual experiences, not the brain. Challenging the conclusions of such books as Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion and Daniel C. Dennett's Breaking the Spell, this book will be of interest to readers on both sides of a hot-button issue at the meeting place of science and faith.

The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul, Library Edition

Tantor Media, Inc.

Business & Money

The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon’s Case for the Existence of the Soul

Politics & Social Sciences

Egnor, Michael

Philosophy

Worthy Books

Current scientific philosophy, guided by materialism, argues that religious experience is the product of nothing more than the wiring of the brain. In The Spiritual Brain, Mario Beauregard and Denyse O’Leary, a distinguished neuroscientist and an award-winning writer, argue that this isn’t the case―that some people do contact a reality outside of themselves. The authors suggest that we must move toward a non-materialist perspective that can explore and document these types of experiences. Beauregard uses the example of his own fascinating research study in which Montreal nuns were scanned with MRI equipment to show that multiple sections of the brain are involved in religious experiences, not just one “God spot,” as many have claimed. Provocative, lively and accessible, The Spiritual Brain is a book for anyone who is religious or spiritual―and for those interested in debate about the existence of a higher consciousness.

The Spiritual Brain

Religious Studies

HarperCollins, Publishers

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by O'Leary, Denyse. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by O'Leary, Denyse

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by O'Leary, Denyse. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul

The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul

What Are Newton's Laws of Motion? (Shaping Modern Science)

What Are Newton's Laws of Motion? (Shaping Modern Science)

By Design or By Chance? The Growing Controversy on the Origins of Life in the Universe

The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul

The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul, Library Edition

The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul

The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon’s Case for the Existence of the Soul

The Spiritual Brain