Ep. 122: Dr. Andrew Newberg On The Neuroscience & Philosophy Of Human Consciousness

Today we’re joined by Dr. Andrew Newberg, co-author of How God Changes Your Brain and How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain. If those two titles are familiar, it’s because Andrew’s co-author, Mark Robert Waldman, has been on the show before. Dr. Newberg is a neuroscientist and Director of Research at the Markus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, as well as Adjunct professor of Religious studies and Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania school of medicine. You’ve probably seen him in Newsweek, the LA Times, and more, or seen the byproduct’s of his work, including The Mystical Mind, Why God Won’t Go Away, and Why We Believe What We Believe. My goal with this interview was to get a better understanding not just of neuroscience, but also to understand how it is influenced by our spiritual beliefs and practices. In this episode, we talk about all things neuroscience, and go deeper than we did with Mark Robert Waldman into the cognitive benefits of implementing a spiritual or mindfulness practice. We do take a while to get into the practical and hands-on stuff, but I think you’ll get a LOT out of the surrounding discussion. I learned a lot of interesting things about the brain, but also about the state of neuroscience, what we know about the brain, and some of the challenges facing the scientific field as a whole. Overall, I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy the conversation, and that it will provide you with lots of useful and actionable information!