1. Module – Who am I? Who are you?
Lesson 5 – My morals made me do it.
Part II

2. Purpose of Beliefs Organize the world in meaningful ways
Provide a sense of self
Assist in initiating behavior / actions
Facilitate accomplishment of goals
Regulate emotional centers of brain
Allow us to socialize with others
Guide moral and educational pursuits
Heal the body and mind

3. How to Navigate Tutorial
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4. Lesson 5 (Beliefs) Index
Components of Beliefs
Memory and Beliefs
The Neurobiology of Beliefs
Beliefs over the Lifespan
Nuns, Buddhists, and an Atheist
Health Benefits
In Conclusion…
References

5. Identify the role of perceptions, cognitions, emotions, and social consensus in forming beliefs
Objective #27

6. Components of Belief Perceptions Cognitions Emotional Value
Social Consensus

7. QUESTION
Of all the beliefs you have, which one would be the most disturbing to give up if you found out that it wasn’t true?

8. Discuss the nature of the relationship between memory and belief systems
Objective #28

9. Memory and Beliefs Memory is a “neural belief”
Media attention increases emotional response

10. The Construction of Memory
Memory is constructed fallible
Schemas
Perceptual Sets
Elizabeth Loftus
Misinformation Effect
Source Confusion
Imagination Inflation

11. Describe the neurobiological basis of beliefs by discussing the roles of various structures and regions in the brain
Objective #29

12. The Cortex on Beliefs Frontal Lobe (blue) Temporal Lobe (green)
R. Prefrontal Cortex
Logic / Reason / Beliefs
Accept / Reject / Revise
Temporal Lobe (green)
Language center
Visual Processing
Parietal Lobe (yellow)
Orientation Areas
[click]
Sense another presence
Timelessness
Decreased sense of self

13. The Limbic System on Beliefs
Amygdala
Emotional center
Thalamus
Reality center
Regulates sensory info
Hippocampus
Formation of memory

14. Neurotransmitters and Beliefs
Dopamine
Religious activity increases levels in the brain
Skeptics injected with dopamine increased interpretation of experiences
Seratonin
Regulates emotion, behavior, and thoughts

15. Miracle or not? Perceptions Cognitions Emotional Value
Region(s) of brain activated
Reinforces the beliefs or not
Interpreted as a miracle / “a sign”
Unless it’s not accepted to view it as such
Perceptions
Cognitions
Emotional Value
Social Consensus

16. A Lifetime of Believing

17. Beliefs in Childhood There are not Muslim children
There are not Christian children
There are not Jewish children

18. A Comparison
Jewish children are more likely to represent God symbolically
Christian children are more likely to represent God as a person

19. Religion and Childhood Beliefs
“Punitive God” – internalize anxious or destructive thoughts
“Forgiving God” – give sense of optimism and safety
Religious teachings help children to establish fundamental beliefs
Children in fundamentalist families…
More self-righteous
More prejudiced
More likely to condemn people outside of their own group(s)

20. Beliefs in Adolescence
60% American Teens consider religion important
40% pray daily or attend weekly service

21. Beliefs in the 20s to 30s
Increased interest

22. Beliefs in the 40s Religion declines After 30…
Neural activity declines
Lose plasticity
Ability to form new ideas declines

23. Beliefs in 50s and beyond Increase in religious importance
Desire for social connectedness

24. Beliefs and Education High school highest level of education…
92% believe in God
Negative correlation with college
Each year results in a decline in religious beliefs
Less likely to believe in hell or the devil

25. Nuns, buddhists, and an atheist

26. The Study of Nuns Centering Prayer
Increased frontal and temporal lobe activity

27. The Study of Buddhists Frontal lobe Right hemisphere activity
Apply meaning
Interpretation
Rhythm of speech
Inferior Temporal Lobe
Imagery

28. Nuns and Buddhists Both had decreased parietal activity
Orientation area
Loss or suspension of self awareness
Loss of space and time
Both had asymmetrical thalamus
8 weeks of meditation can produce same effect
Both had increased thalamus activity

29. The Study of an Atheist
Decrease in frontal lobe activity (different than the Nuns and Buddhists)
Thalamus asymmetry
Decreased parietal lobe

30. Neural Circuit of Beliefs
Thalamus
Frontal Lobe
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Relays information from senses
Emotional reactions
Interpretation
Memory

31. Assess the relationship between happiness and belief systems
Objective #30

32. Beliefs and Health Index of Core Spiritual Experience
Correlates with increased life purpose and satisfaction
Correlates with a decrease in medical symptoms

33. Beliefs and Happiness Top 10% Did not differ on… Highly social
Stronger relationships
More extraverted
More aggressive
Less neurotic
Exercise
Religious activity
Positive life events

34. Other Research Atheists report lower divorce rates
But also lower rates of marriage
Atheists report higher levels of stress and lower levels of life satisfaction than evangelicals
Religious persons are more racist and more likely to be intolerant of other religions

35. And More Research
People who attend service regularly have a lower chance of dying in a given year
People who belief in a loving god fare better after diagnosis than those who belief in a punitive god
HIV patients that report being spiritual have higher CD4 counts

36. Really…More Research
Those who never attend church are 2 times more likely to die in the next 8 years than those who attend 1 x / week or more
People in religion are more likely to rely on others for social support
In economic downturns…
Those who give help fare better than those that don’t
People who believe life have meaning live longer

37. Criticisms Do not clearly define terms
Interpreted by individual
“Spiritual” is an inclusive term
Includes optimism, pleasure, peacefulness, forgiveness, kindness as indicators
Distinction between religious and non-religious is blurred
Misinterpret data

38. More Criticisms Statistical significance is small
Data used to support position on issue
Internal Validity
Religion vs. social interaction, meaning in life, coping mechanisms
Self-reports
Optimistically biased
Ignore unhealthy behaviors

39. In conclusion… The “God Gene”
Multiple Gene factors
Genes are only a small part of the picture
Religion is subjectively, culturally, and socially transmitted
Humanism
Universal aspects of nature
Love
Compassion
Connectedness

40. References
Kluger, J. (2009, February 23). Biology of Belief. Time 173,
Newberg, A. and Waldman, M.R. (2006). Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth. New York: Free Press.