According to a research conducted by the neuroscientists of Georgetown University, individuals with a stronger belief in God can unconsciously predict complex patterns. Yes, it’s something interesting as the header is!!!
Researchers found people with the implicit pattern learning, belief in the God who creates order and intervenes in an otherwise chaotic universe. The team conducted the studies with two different groups- a predominantly Christian group in the US and a Muslim group in Afghanistan.
The researchers clearly mentioned that this is a study about why & how brains come to believe in Gods and not something about the existence of one.
THE HYPOTHESIS
The people whose brains are good and subconsciously discerning patterns in their environment may ascribe those patterns to the hand of a higher power.
THE PROCESS
The team investigated the concept of implicit learning, which is learning complex information in an incidental manner. The participants were asked to watch as sequence of dots appear and disappear on a computer screen which was a test to measure the cognitive ability of them. When a dot appeared, they pushed a button and the dots would move faster as the test carried on. The team observed that some of the participants subconsciously learned the patterns of the dots and pushed the button for the next dot before it appears.
THE OBSERVATION
The data showed those who had a higher faith level performed better overall during the experiment. The team also added, the children with this ability, even if they grow up in a non-religious atmosphere develop their faith as they grow up. The most interesting aspect of this study was seeing the patterns in cognitive processes and believes replicated across two different cultures; the Americans and the Afghans. It was found that they are more alike than different, at least in certain cognitive processes involved in religious belief. The findings suggest existing insights into the nature of belief doesn’t matter what one’s faith is.
THE CONCLUSION
For centuries the belief of why and how an individual believes in a higher power has been the holy grail of scientists. Modern-day technology has probed the human brain with the hopes of answering these questions. It has been proved earlier itself, that the area associated with feelings and intentions become activated when the persons think about their religions. For a better chance of survival, humans are born to believe in a higher power. A brain that is more predisposed to implicit pattern learning may be more inclined to believe in a God no matter where in the world that brain happens to find itself or in which religious context. Even though further investigation is necessary, this evidence might provide some neuro-cognitive common ground at a basic human level between beliefs of disparate faiths.
Reference: Georgetown University Medical Center
Read an article on neuroscience from the same author:
Indian traditional Practice meets modern neuroscience
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