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BELIEF, BEHAVIOUR & THE BRAIN

Why is there so much killing in the name of religion? Are people who commit serial murders mad or exceptionally bad? When people pray or meditate are they in touch with the mind of God, or is God only in the mind?

All of these questions are being answered by some important and not yet widely known research being done in Canada, California, and the Netherlands. Certain areas of the brain can produce the concept of a God or an external intelligence, the disinhibition which can promote mass or serial killings or a state of transcendence.

Dr Robert Buckman explains the connection between these research findings, and how they explain the impact on behaviour of certain conditions such as schizophrenia the action of certain chemicals and stimulants, and they way humans collaborate with each other in joint actions which may be constructive and creative or occasionally cruel and destructive.

By the end of this lecture, you will understand why human history has been so marred with religious strife and killing as well as inspired by acts of astonishing creativity and inspiration.