
The Neural Basis of Religious Cognition
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 27. April 2026
Book
Hardback
194 pages
978-0-367-74499-1 (ISBN)
Description
The Neural Basis of Religious Cognition brings together leading researchers from psychology, neuroscience, and religious studies to identify the neural circuits underlying various aspects of religious behavior and cognition. This book presents cutting-edge research in the cognitive neuroscience of religion, demonstrating how brain research techniques can illuminate the puzzles and complexities of religious experience.
Understanding the neural foundations of religious cognition holds both historical significance and contemporary relevance for human understanding, potentially revealing insights into uniquely human aspects of social brain functioning. Through in-depth explorations of diverse topics, including prayer, psychedelic experiences, and the impact of neurodegenerative disorders on religious cognition, this book provides extensive coverage of this emerging interdisciplinary field. The research presented offers valuable knowledge about how the brain processes religious thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, contributing to broader understanding of human consciousness and spirituality.
This book provides in-depth explorations of various topics within the cognitive neuroscience of religion, including prayer, psychedelics, and the impact of neurodegenerative disorders, making it a must-read for all researchers of the psychology of religion.
Understanding the neural foundations of religious cognition holds both historical significance and contemporary relevance for human understanding, potentially revealing insights into uniquely human aspects of social brain functioning. Through in-depth explorations of diverse topics, including prayer, psychedelic experiences, and the impact of neurodegenerative disorders on religious cognition, this book provides extensive coverage of this emerging interdisciplinary field. The research presented offers valuable knowledge about how the brain processes religious thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, contributing to broader understanding of human consciousness and spirituality.
This book provides in-depth explorations of various topics within the cognitive neuroscience of religion, including prayer, psychedelics, and the impact of neurodegenerative disorders, making it a must-read for all researchers of the psychology of religion.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
12 s/w Zeichnungen, 9 s/w Tabellen, 13 s/w Abbildungen, 1 s/w Photographie bzw. Rasterbild
9 Tables, black and white; 12 Line drawings, black and white; 1 Halftones, black and white; 13 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
476 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-367-74499-1 (9780367744991)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Jordan Grafman | Patrick McNamara
The Neural Basis of Religious Cognition
E-Book
04/2026
Taylor & Francis
€63.49
Available for download

Jordan Grafman | Patrick McNamara
The Neural Basis of Religious Cognition
E-Book
04/2026
Taylor & Francis
€63.49
Available for download

Jordan Grafman | Patrick McNamara
The Neural Basis of Religious Cognition
Book
04/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€59.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
Jordan Grafman is Director of Brain Injury Research at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, IL, USA, and Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA. Co-PI Cognitive Neuroscience of Religious Cognition (CNRC) Project (cognitiveneuroscienceofreligion.org).
Patrick McNamara is Professor of Psychology at National University, San Diego, California, USA, and Associate Professor of Neurology at Boston University, Boston, MA, USA. Co-PI CNRC Project (cognitiveneuroscienceofreligion.org).
Patrick McNamara is Professor of Psychology at National University, San Diego, California, USA, and Associate Professor of Neurology at Boston University, Boston, MA, USA. Co-PI CNRC Project (cognitiveneuroscienceofreligion.org).
Content
Preface 1. Emotional Intelligence and the Emotional Connection to God: Insights from Traumatic Brain Injury Research 2. Religion and Spirituality in Parkinson's Disease: A Qualitative Evaluation 3. Selflessness as the Neuropsychological Foundation of Spiritual Transcendence 4. The bodily instantiation of spiritual feelings: self-transcendence and the predictive processing of body signals 5. Redemptive Turning Points, Spiritual Experience, and Decentering: Spiritual experiences and narrative identity construction in spiritual life history interviews 6. The God receptor: naturalistic, psychotic and entheogenic neurocognition in the origins and phenomenology of spiritual and religious thought 7. Religious cognition in dreams: Attributing agency and meaning to(lucid) dreaming 8. REM sleep contributes to the neural basis of religious and spiritual experiences 9. Embodied Representation of the Divine Index