The Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Cognition
Exploring the Brain Correlates of Religious Beliefs and Practices
Jordan Grafman, one of our January 2021 God and the Human Mind Faculty Roundtable panelists, is leading this ongoing discussion starting in Fall 2022. He’s looking to partner with a diverse group of Northwestern faculty and students who have an interest in the brain correlates of religious beliefs and practices. Ideally, this group would include a variety of disciplines, viewpoints, and backgrounds, including religious and non-religious ones. To be clear, you do not need a background in neuroscience or cognitive science to take part in this project. A few aims of this project, which you could participate in some or all, would be to:
Discuss the interface between neuroscience and religious belief/practice,
Provide opportunities for students to engage in this area of research,
Foster research collaborations with Northwestern faculty on this topic,
Recruit faculty, practitioners, and students as participants in a research study on the brain correlates of religious belief and practice
Establish regular seminars and workshops on the cognitive neuroscience of religious belief and practice.
For more information, here’s a one-page document that Jordan put together and you can visit the Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Cognition website. This project is funded in part through a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. This effort is still being formed so your participation in whatever part you are interested in can help shape what this project looks like.
RSVP here to express your interest in being part of this group effort or simply email Mickey Sanchez (mickey.sanchez@intervarsity.org) or email Jordan (jgrafman@northwestern.edu) directly.
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Other Discussion Groups Currently Under Development
If you have any suggestions for a group discussion topic or a person to lead such a group, please email mickey.sanchez@intervarsity.org.