Neurotheology – God and The Brain.
Technology is catching up fast with the mystics of old. With deliberate brain change still remaining firmly in the realm of the mystics and occultists, neurotheology has enabled a new generation to discover brain change technologies.
Already at our disposal, we have the much-maligned approaches of inner explorations such as entheogens (ayahuasca, etc.), chemical inducers (ketamine, extracted Salvia divinorum, LSD), light and sound machines, electrical neurostimulators, ritual, meditative exercises, and sensory deprivation (floatation tanks).
For the NLPer to do something as simple as a submodality change is to perform an action fairly rare on this planet – he/she deliberately engages their brain to bring about a deliberate and directionalised change in consciousness.
It is unfortunate that most drug users are merely getting drunk on a different drug without much of an idea of how to “turn on”, and deliberate brain change is still intimately associated with “brainwashing”. Frequently, the action of deliberately changing consciousness is actually an illegal act, depending on the means by which it is brought about. We still have not achieved the right to internal freedom.
Neurotheology as a field has opened up an entirely new area by localising specific spiritual experiences to neuro-function and specific neuro-anatomy. Neurotheology is entirely compatible with religious belief and experience, as Ramachandran suggests God may have made these structures so we may better experience Him. A theme well explored in the film “Contact” with Jodie Foster and definitely worth viewing.
Persinger’s work has implicated specific structures with regards to spiritual experiences and even such phenomena as hauntings.
Links
Spirituality and The Brain Todd Murphy’s site showcasing the Shakti magnetic stimulation helmet and work by Michael Persinger, packed with authoritative articles on all aspects of God and the brain.
Neurotheology: Which came first, God or The Brain? Nice student article on the Serendip site by Charlotte Ford.
David Tibet’s website: https://www.davidtibet.com/