The Pendulum
NEWS
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 / Page 7
Students engaged in discussion about
intersection of religion and tlie brain
Maggie Castor
Reporter
A full house was present for the
discussion, “Spirit and Synapse; Did
God Create the Brain, or Did the Brain
« Create God?” on Nov. 6. The classroom
where it was held overflowed with
people. Jeffrey Pugh, head of the
religious studies department, and
Mathew Gendle, assistant professor of
psychology, led the discussion.
The professors have been working
together for two years on an honors
course titled "Consciousness and
Religion" and were inspired to put
together the presentation.
From the beginning of the
presentation, both professors
stressed the interactive nature of the
discussion and encouraged audience
members to share their ideas and
thoughts.
“This is one of those topics where
the more you seem to know, the less
you understand,” Gendle said.
The discussion was opened with a
brief description of neurons, which
send signals from the brain to other
parts of the body. For the past 20 or
30 years, research has been conducted
to determine the neurobiological
effects of religious practice.
Throughout history, there have
been cases of people experiencing
seizures that they claim are a result
of profound religious experiences.
Studies are currently being conducted
to determine which part of the brain
is used and affected during religious
practice.
It’s been found that when some
people are exposed to small amounts
of electromagnetic pulses, a "religious
experience occurs." This varies
depending on the individual, as some
people experience nothing when
exposed. The religious experiences
that do occur always relate to a
concept that the subject was exposed
to prior to the experiment.
This raises the question of whether
religion is used as a man-made tactic
to cope with life’s big questions. Pugh
clarified that the research does not
prove or disprove that religion is
a creation of the brain, only that it
affects the brain.
Pugh discussed two philosophical
positions regarding the soul or mind.
The first concept is the idea that the
soul and mind are separate from the
body.
This is a common theory among
Western perspectives that views the
body as a “container.” The second
concept views the soul or mind as a
neurobiological process.
“Although I must say, for me
personally, 1 would love to see an
intellectual community at Elon that
generated the type of excitement
that many of the people in the room
seemed to have," he said. “So, the
realization that we could be that
university where ideas are debated,
talked about and studied does excite
me greatly.”
Scientists are now searching for a
specific “God spot” in the brain. As
of now, a specific area has not been
identified, but several areas of the
brain are affected during religious
experiences.
A concept called “emergence”
suggests that religious experiences
may not be related to something
tangible, but instead achieved through
the specific inter-workings of the
^^This is one of those
topics where the more
you seem to know, the
less you understand.”
- Mathew Gendle
brain as a direct result of human
inquiries.
Sophomore Michael Zimmerman
attended the discussion as a
requirement for his world religions
course but also because he had an
interest in the topic.
He said he would have liked to see
the professors go deeper into religions
that have died out and discuss
whether the brain works differently
for individual religions. If the effects
of the brain vary from one religion to
the next, this would assist in backing
up the survival tactic theory.
Jenny Schnaak said she found
the discussion very informative and
interesting, but left without concrete
conclusions.
“The concept of a ‘God spot’ in
the brain is intriguing, and I gained
insight on several other concepts
as well,” she said. “However, no
conclusions were made by the end of
the seminar.”
The reaction and involvement
of those attending pleased both
professors.
“My hope is that students can
learn to wrestle with intellectually
complex issues with civility, openness
and an understanding of the
complexity of the issues,” Gendle said.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Sorority recruitment event
tomorrow
Elon’s Panhellenic Council is
hosting a recruitment event at
7:30 p.m tomorrow'. A comedic
pageant, called Miss Recruitment
2009, will be held in Yeager
Recital Hall. Any women who
are interested in learning more
about Elon’.s sororities and
recruitment week are welcome to
attend. Contact Michele McGraw
at mmcgraw@elon.edu with
questions.
Battle of the Bands on Friday
SUBLive will present the Battle of
the Bands on Friday, Nov. 14. The
event will be held at Lighthouse,
beginning at 9 p.m. The cover
charge is $3 for students who are
over 21 and $5 for students who
are under 21. Bands can sign up
in Moseley 207.
Photo exhibit begins Monday
Amnesty International will host a
brief opening for Scott Langeley's
photo exhibit on Monday, Nov. 17.
The exhibit will be held in Belk
and Grey Pavilion in the Academic
Village and will run until Nov.
2]. Langeley, an acclaimed
photographer, photographs things
he perceives as unjust.
D.E.E.P. Thanksgiving dinner
tomorrow
D.E.E.P. will host a Thanksgiving
dinner honoring the men and
women of the military tomorrow.
The free dinner, which wUl be
catered by Cracker Barrel, will be
held in McCoy Commons 212 at 6
p.m. To RSVP, contact Joy Baxter
at jbaxter3@elon.edu.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
7 ’
I ||
r
YOU CAN MAKE A WORLD
OF DIFFERENCE.
NATIONAL CLANDESTINE SERVICE CAREERS
Be a part of a mission that's larger than all of us. The CIA’s National Clandestine
Service seeks qualified applionts to serve our country’s mission abroad. Our careers offer rewarding,
fast-paced, and high impact challenges in inceiligence collection on issues of critical importance
to US national security. Applicants should possess a hl^ degree of personal inte^ity. strong
interpersonal skills, and good written and oral communication skills. We welcome applicants ft'om
various academic and professional backgrounds. Do you v^^nt to make a difference for your country?
Are you ready for a challenge?
All applicants for National Clandestine Service positions must successfully undergo sevej"al personal
inter^ews, medical and psychological exams, aptitude testing, a polygraph intervi^, and a backgroi^d
investigation. Following entry on duty, candidates will undergo extensive training. US citizenship
required, An egua/ opportimrty employer and a drug-free work force.
For more information and to apply, visit: www.cia.gov
THE WORK OF A NATION. THE CENTER OF INTELLIGENCE
V,- —
Heard. Without the Screaming!
Advertise with The Pendulum
Contact us at pendulumadvertising@elon.edu