Religious Scholar

What can biology teach us about spirituality? Plenty…and vice versa, while you’re at it…according to Andrew Newberg, MD, author of Principles of Neurotheology. Newberg is Director of Research at the Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Medical College.

Newberg lectured on neurotheology to a large, fascinated audience on March 7, 2012, at Princeton University’s Center for the Study of Religion. His past lectures have included the Medical Yoga Conference at Jefferson, which is directed each year by Dr. Vijayendra Pratap, Founding Director of the SKY Foundation, dedicated to the scientific exploration and practice of yoga.

What exactly is neurotheology? A new branch of science, neurotheology investigates the relationship between biology and spirituality and studies how each may impact on the other. As the religious views of large segments of the world’s population increasingly influence cultural attitudes and behaviors and flow over into secular life, the study of what makes religious or spiritual people act the way they do is not a frivolous pursuit, but rather a critical tool for understanding and survival. (For discussion of religion vs. spirituality, please see http://www.religiousscholar.com/religion-vs-spirituality-terms/ )

Newberg’s research includes impressive, concrete evidence that spiritual practice actually changes biology. During his lecture, he displayed SPECT baseline images of subjects before they started meditation practices and compared with them with images taken after the subjects had practiced kirtan kriya meditation 12 minutes a day for eight weeks. One of the results was the enlargement of the thalamus, the mass of grey matter in the center of the brain which is involved in sense perception and regulates motor activities. Brain studies of various religious or spiritual subjects, such as Christian nuns and Buddhist monks, have revealed countless remarkable features which suggest the powerful influence of faith practices.

Newberg is optimistic that scientists and people of faith can work together with respect and collegiality to explore the relationships between their knowledge and belief systems. Our faith must always filter through our brain. How exciting to be at the dawn of an exciting new era of collaboration and discovery! Newberg’s book may be ordered at:  http://www.andrewnewberg.com/

First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.

Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. President, wrote that there should be a “wall of separation” between Church and State. (Letter to a committee of the Danbury (CT) Baptist Association on Jan. 1, 1802)

“History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government.” Thomas Jefferson, letter to von Humboldt 1813

"We should not intermeddle with the particular dogmas in which all religions differ and which are totally unconnected with morality." Thomas Jefferson, letter to J. Fishback 1809

“I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” Thomas Jefferson, letter to Benjamin Rush, 1800.

Saint with a cell phone,

When will it hap?

Saint with an IPhone

Or  Kindle or Ap?

Who will be canonized

Wielding a Droid

Awaiting a download,

And texting, annoyed?

In a world without focus,

A techie’s delight,

Can a saint pray and sacrifice,

Get holiness right?

Can a saint have a ringtone?

Time only will tell,

Like a hermit or nun

Praying into a cell.

Deepak Chopra is offering a 21-day Meditation Challenge http://www.chopracentermeditation.com/bestsellers/MEDITATION_WINTER_2012/register.asp, but there's another free opportunity to become a "better you" that's been around for millennia. Coincidentally or deliberately, I'm not sure, but this year, Dr. Chopra's challenge coincides with Lent. 

Lent is often viewed as a grim period of sacrifice and negative thinking during the dark final days of winter, but it can just as well be a time of rejuvenation and renewal. There are many good meditation manuals and resources online to help those who follow a specific Christian tradition, but Lent-as-a-meditation-retreat awaits all those who want to commit to a month and a half of regular reflection, reading, the practice of peace and prayer or other sacred speech, and service.

In fact, many churches now offer their members the option of either giving something up (such as a fatty diet) or taking something on (such as a daily study break or serving in a soup kitchen). I don’t see why people of other traditions or no tradition at all can’t benefit from this practice, which is good for body, mind, soul and community.

While other kinds of challenges are fine, you may find the retreat you need right in your own backyard. Take a new look at Lent: it could be the best 40 days you ever spent!

Like most Americans, I was shocked and saddened by the death of pop star Whitney Houston. What a great talent and personality! We are fortunate indeed to have so many recordings and videos of her unforgettable performances.

What endeared Whitney to so many people of faith was not only her incredible talent, but also the way that spiritual authenticity was woven into her life. Religion was not a superficial, Sunday morning appearance in church for her. In a move that perhaps shocked some religious people, her last recorded performance was a duet of “Jesus Loves Me” performed impromptu in a sleazy club. One recalls how Jesus brought his message of tolerance, love, and devotion to people identified as “sinners” in the language of the time. For Whitney, spirituality was so interwoven into the fiber of her being and her life, there was no separation between daily life and religious conviction and practice. Her faith was as genuine in a club as in a sanctuary.

Watching television coverage of Whitney’s rise, fall, and road to recovery, the image we remember is a strong, charismatic woman of dignity and power, yet someone who was likeable and, despite her demons, a role model for others. But there is a cloud casting a shadow over these memories: clips of a reality TV program which her image consultants had somehow not been able to prevent. In these clips, Whitney emerges as someone very different: a foul-mouthed harridan who was rude, sloppy, loud, and inconsiderate. Seeing even a few seconds of these images is enough to sour the other recollections we have of her as a person, artist, and person of dignity, and make us marvel at the complexity of a single human life. It does not matter that these scenes may have been orchestrated and not part of her core values: they have a way of attaching themselves to recollection and altering perception of a life that, while troubled, ultimately was inspiring.

We marvel and are grateful for the gifts Whitney Houston shared with the world. Among the lessons of her all-too-short life are these two:

• Let your faith shine in all aspects of your life, wherever that life may take you; and
• Remember who you are: part of a larger whole, a model for others, and in the words of many religious traditions, a child of God. Cultivate and preserve your individual dignity. 

Dignity is like a carrier oil that has no scent of its own but allows essential oils to release their fragrances. Through the dignity and faith that permeated her life, Whitney Houston influenced humanity beyond the reach even of her song. And while none of us have her unique musical ability, we can live what we believe in, and cultivate the dignity and poise to make a difference in the world.