Neurotheology: This Is Your Brain On Religion. Principles of NeurotheologyBy Andrew B.
NewbergPaperback, 284 pagesAshgateList price: $29.95 "Neurotheology" is a unique field of scholarship and investigation that seeks to understand the relationship specifically between the brain and theology, and more broadly between the mind and religion. As a topic, neurotheology has garnered substantial attention in the academic and lay communities in recent years.
Several books have been written addressing the relationship between the brain and religious experience and numerous scholarly articles have been published on the topic. The scientific and religious communities have been very interested in obtaining more information regarding neurotheology, how to approach this topic, and whether science and religion can be integrated in some manner that preserves, and perhaps enhances, both. In short, for neurotheology to be successful, science must be kept rigorous and religion must be kept religious. 1. 2. 3. 4. Brain Games & Brain Training. Mindfulness meditation training changes brain structure in eight weeks. Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress.
In a study that will appear in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain's grey matter. "Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day," says Sara Lazar, PhD, of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, the study's senior author.
"This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing. " Can't relax? It's all in your mind: Research shows stopping a thought puts more strain on the brain. (PhysOrg.com) -- Turns out, relaxing is exhausting—which could by why so many people struggle to unplug from work during vacation. According to mathematicians at Case Western Reserve University, stopping a thought burns more energy than thinking-like stopping a truck on a downhill slope. "Maybe this explains why it is so tiring to relax and think about nothing," says Daniela Calvetti, professor of mathematics and one of the authors of a new brain study published in an advanced online publication of the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. Since opening up the brain for detailed monitoring isn't exactly practical, Calvetti teamed up with fellow mathematics professor Erkki Somersalo and Rossana Occhipinti, a postdoctoral researcher in physiology and biophysics, to create a computer model of brain metabolism.
Calvetti and Somersalo created a software package specifically designed to study the complex metabolic systems. Cognitive Atlas. Body of Thought: How Trivial Sensations Can Influence Reasoning, Social Judgment and Perception. Why do we look up to those we respect, stoop to the level of those we disdain and think warmly about those we love?
Why do we hide dirty secrets or wash our hands of worries? Why do we ponder weighty subjects and feel a load lift after we have made a decision? Why do we look back on the past and forward to the future? Such turns of phrase, invoking a physical reality that stands in for intangible concepts, might seem like linguistic flights of fancy. But a rapidly growing body of research indicates that metaphors joining body and mind reflect a central fact about the way we think: the mind uses the body to make sense of abstract concepts.
11 Easy Ways to Meditate (Or, There's No Such Thing As Being Bad At Meditation) How to Meditate. What should I do if my legs fall asleep while meditating?
This is common for new meditators, and will likely get better over time if you stick with it. As long as feeling comes back to your legs within a few minutes after changing position, don’t worry about it. If it persists or bothers you too much, try a different position, like sitting on a higher cushion, a chair, or lying down. The important part of meditation is your mind, not your body position. Which kind of meditation is best for someone with anxiety? Most types of meditation will teach you to calm your mind and be more aware of your thoughts and emotions, which will help with anxiety.
Can I still meditate if I’m not religious? Absolutely. How can I stop myself from thinking while I meditate? Many of the techniques listed in this article will help you focus your mind on something other than your own thoughts. Breathing Exercises. Today, yoga routine is widely accepted by people of all age groups because of its innumerable benefits provided to the yoga practitioners.
Yoga routines also becomes a popular technique to focus on different areas of the body due to the varying and growing methods for weight loss and balance in nutritious value. Yoga routine is known to focus on many different areas of the body, allowing for a change and growth in functioning of your body. There are wide range of yoga poses that helps the practitioner to gain a high level of self-awareness, balance, and strength.