Andrew Newberg explains the connection between Science and Religion

In this episode Constitutional Lawyer Leighton Grey and Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg have a conversation about the science behind how your brain responds to religion, how meditation can actually benefit your brain and body, and why he decided to pursue these topics in his new book "Neurotheology".

Andrew Newberg is an American neuroscientist who is a Professor in the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences and the director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, previously an Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies and a Lecturer in Psychology in the Biological Basis of Behavior Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Andrew has been a prominent researcher in the field of nuclear medical brain imaging and neurotheology. In particular, his research has focused on the development of neurotransmitter tracers for the evaluation of religiosity as well as neurological and psychiatric disorders including clinical depression, head injury, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Newberg graduated from Haverford College in 1988 with a degree in chemistry and then received his medical degree in 1993 from the University of Pennsylvania.

He then completed postgraduate training in Internal Medicine with a Residency at the Graduate Hospital from 1993 to 1996, and then did a Fellowship in Nuclear Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Radiology from 1996 to 1998. Dr. Andrew Newberg has scanned the brains of praying nuns, chanting Sikhs and meditating Buddhists. He studies the relationship between the brain and religious experience, a field called neurotheology. And he's written a book, Principles of Neurotheology, that tries to lay the groundwork for a new kind of scientific and theological dialogue.

Professor Andrew Newberg and Leighton Grey take some time to discuss his studies and early interest in Science & Religion, how he measures the interactions between the brain and spiritual experiences, and why it's so important to have a connection to a higher power.

To find more from Professor Andrew Newberg you can visit: www.AndrewNewberg.com

This episode’s recommended reading:

Neurotheology: How Science Can Enlighten Us About Spirituality - Andrew Newberg|
https://amzn.to/3v2o2jl

Varieties of Spiritual Experiences - Andrew Newberg
(Will Be Released In September 2022)

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