matthew alpers book 'the god part of the brain' is frustrating me as he is presenting a very good case for the idea that the brain is hardwired for spirituality due to an evolutionary need to understand death. i'm two thirds of the way through and his argument is rigorous and he has good science supporting his case, however i'm still not convinced that the whole 'god' aspect exists within our brains. i think his essential argument is correct, our brains have developed a 'spiritual' dimension, religious beliefs do indeed exist as a framework to deal with mortality and the fear Incorporated within the idea of death. there is no doubt spiritual experiences can be stimulated by electrical impulse, and there is no doubt that this is an evolutionary essential but what he has so far failed to mention is reality it a reflection of the brain itself. if the mind perceives god or a spiritual intelligence then one will exist. the two realities are both real equally as they are not. the particle wave theory is observer based. one cannot say which came first, the chicken or the egg. sure we evolve and consciousness evolves, that's why moses saw a burning bush and jung saw an archtype, it's not the vision, it's not the spoke on the wheel, it's the central truth of reality that is important, many paths many masters, many lives but one truth. love. that's why non religious people, non spiritual people, totally rational, material people love their children, their pets and their partners. it's not a part of a brain mr. alper, it's the heart.
in the introduction he describes a bad trip and consequently being depressed for many years after, he says pharmaceuticals drugs helped him. an early investment in science i think.
the problem with using the brain to understand spirituality is like the quantum conundrum, you cannot measure it or observe it with the brain, it's the wrong instrument. like using a chopstick to slice and an egg.