Neurotheology: 6 Belief Dimensions

Neurotheology: 6 Belief Dimensions

• Mystical, Religious, Spiritual, and Theological Traditions and Experiences

• Scientific and Math Programs

• Anthropological Considerations

• Historical and Philosophical Traditions

• Technological Developments

• Ethical Implications

Dimensions of Neurotheology: 1st Dimension Definition Mystical, Religious, Spiritual, and Theological Traditions and Experiences Examples African traditional and diasporic religions, Bahá'í Faith, Buddhism, Cao Dai, Chinese folk religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Juche, Judaism, Mystical Traditions, Neo-Paganism, Non-Adherent (e.g. Secular, Atheist, Pagan, etc), Quaker, Rastafarian, Scientology, Shamanism, Shinto, Sikhism, Spiritism, Tao, Tenrikyo, Unitarian Universalism, Vedic traditions, Wicca, Zoroastrianism, and others. Irreligious approaches include Agnosticism, Atheism, Humanism, and Rationalism.

2nd Dimension Definition

• Scientific and Math Programs

Examples

• Astronomy, biology, chemistry, cognitive science, ecology, economics, engineering, genetics, geology, linguistics, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, psychology, etc.

Scholarship

• Neuroscience

• Biology

• Psychology

  • Fuller psychology and religion

• Cognitive Science

• Genetics
  

  • The God Gene

3rd Dimension Definition

• Historical and Philosophical Traditions

Examples

• Past

• Present

• Future

Examples

• African Cosmologies, Eastern (Chinese, Jewish, Indian, Persian), Western (Greco-Roman, Medieval, and Modern), etc.

4th Dimension Definition

• Anthropological considerations

Examples

• Culture (art, custom, knowledge, law, morals, etc.), gender, geography, politics, race, sexuality, social movements, and others.

Scholarship

• Cultural systems of thought: Holistic vs. analytic cognition. (Richard Nisbett) 5th Dimension Definition

• Technological Developments

Examples

• Neurotechnology

  • Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

  • Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT )

  • Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Scholarship

• Andrew Newberg

• Michael Persinger

6th Dimension Definition

• Ethical Implications

Examples

• Affective computing, biological machinery, epigenetics, neuro-technology, psycho-pharmacology, and others.

Scholarship

• Neuroethics