Researchers Get A Step Closer To Pinpointing Where Spirituality Lives In The Brain

Until now, research on the neuroscience of spirituality has been limited and somewhat inconclusive. Where in the brain does one's sense of spirituality originate? And what are its implications on how we think and function? New research from Brigham and Women's Hospital, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, sheds some new light on these fascinating questions.

They looked at a combination of existing data from 88 patients who underwent neurosurgery for brain tumors, plus new data from 105 patients with brain lesions (areas of tissue that have been damaged). All of the patients completed surveys both before and after surgery, answering questions about whether they self-identified as spiritual.

As the study authors note, this research suggests "spirituality and religiosity map to a common brain circuit centered on the periaqueductal grey, a brainstem region previously implicated in fear conditioning, pain modulation, and altruistic behavior."

Going forward, the team hopes to continue studying spirituality in the brain and how belief can be affected by brain injuries and lesions. Ferguson says he's curious to explore spiritual mapping more, and specifically "how healing and spirituality can co-inform each other."