The inherent need for religion in our brain

For ages there have been debates about the question if there is a higher power outside us or that this is nothing but a chimera. From a neurological point of view, there is a simple explanation for the reason why there will probably never be consensus about this subject: the need for religion and persuasion stems spontaneously from the way that our brain works.

Brain structure and experience of life

One of the skills of our brains is the ability to make causal connections, or the ability to see cause and effect. If primitive man had not been able to make a connection between eating berries and stomachache the next day, we would not be where we are now. This ability also enables us to imagine the effects of our actions and give meaning to experiences and events.

The downside of these possibilities is that we started wondering a long time ago why there is suffering and death in the world. Actually, the structure of our brains is such that we cannot but ask for the why and try to find a sensible answer to that.

This 'why' question has been heard for a few thousand years now, and the answers to that question have yielded a massive legacy, such as myths and scientific explanations and theories.

Perception and reality

Scents, colours, taste, sounds, etc. enter our brain in tiny particles to be processed there. Nothing enters our mind as an entity. Brain activity and ongoing processes are not presented to our consciousness, but visualised in our mind as a total image of all stimuli. However, this image is not nearly complete because we invariably miss all kinds of details. As a matter of fact, this is only a good thing because if we didn't, all these irrelevant details would drive us bonkers. Consequently, we are not aware that we have not received all details in our mind, otherwise we would be wondering all the time things like 'Hey, where is the rest?', or 'Is something missing?', or 'Is it right what I see now?'. This would put us in a predicament and make us very uncertain in all our actions and way of thinking. Instead, we perceive the things we observe in our consciousness as real, so this perception is what we rely on.

Only when we find out that we missed something, we can – with very great difficulty at times – adjust our image of reality. The same goes for ideas and persuasions, which are perceived to be perfectly true, as long as they correspond to the way we experience certain things.

Likewise, hallucinations are perceived as real. They may occur in case of exhaustion, extreme pain, hunger or thurst, drug abuse, electric stimulation of particular brain cells or – as it occurs in people with epilepsy, migraine or a psychiatric disorder – as a result of a 'short circuit' in the brains.

Afterwards, the perception of these real experiences may be adjusted to 'unreal', but such an experience will still be retained in memory as real, be it not so much as part of everyday reality, but as a mystical experience showing that there is more than meets the eye.

Strategies of the brain

In our brains there is a region that is responsible for defining the 'self'. For instance, when we hold somebody's hand, we know which fingers are ours and which not, and when sitting on a chair, we can feel where our body touches the chair. This region of the brain gives us a proper understanding of our position in the space around us and processes the physical perception of self motion and orientation.

Because our brain is the most sensitive organ we have, it uses two effective strategies for optimal protection:

1. Our brains seek for balance, so if there is too much strain of a specific region of the brain for a long time, a different part of the brain will try to neutralize this excessive activity and respond with a counteraction. For instance, the brains will make a supreme effort to alleviate pain, reduce fear or weaken extreme feelings of happiness.

2. If this fails and excessive activity threatens to exhaust the brain, specific regions of the brains become dysfunctional. For instance, when we are totally absorbed by something, the physical perception of self motion and orientation is practically absent. Afterwards, we can feel the awareness of our 'self' and our environment coming back, often expressed in utterances like 'Gosh, I'm here, it's raining, my headachte is still there', etc. In case of meditation, saying mantras or prayers and ritual dances, the same thing may happen, even to such a great extent that the awareness of the 'self' is completely gone and an intense sense of harmony is aroused, for instance, with the rest of the world or a higher power.

Key question

If religion and persuasion are inherent in our brain, does it mean that there is no higher power?

No, it doesn't mean that. After all, if there is a higher power, what vehicle does it have to reach man, other than through the brains? With no exception, anything can be observed through the brains only, be it at a conscious or unconscious level.

Let us hope that the insight that it is man's natural drive to have a personal persuasion and that 'truth' is not nearly always the absolute truth will lead to more compassion, understanding and respect for the religion and persuasion of our fellow man. 

Sources: www.todio.nl