Regaining a Sense of Wonder
“Spiritual” experiences are not exclusive to religion
Submitted by Douglas Thomas, Recovering from Religion volunteer
One of the questions that frequently comes up when people move away from religion is how they can replace the feeling of awe they feel they may be losing when they deconvert from religious faith.
Part of what religion offers people is now being understood by brain science as a neurological phenomenon, rooted in the human desire for connection with something bigger than ourselves.
The good news is that researchers at Yale and Columbia University have found that it is not just religion that activates that area of the brain. In fact, there are a multitude of experiences that can be just as effective at triggering a “spiritual” feeling in us.
In an article titled Neural Correlates of Personalized Spiritual Experiences, researchers have discovered that “spirituality” is, in fact, “independent of religiousness.” Our brains react to give us these kinds of feelings whenever we experience something larger than ourselves.
For many people, connection to religion can provide that link to a sense of wonder or spiritual awe and losing that connection can result in feelings of loss or even depression.
