Dear Goanetters,
I am showing from neuroscientific experiments, conducted by neuroscientists,
that there is a Reality (that we call God and soul).
Dr.Mario Beauregard has shown it. I corrected Dr.Santosh Helekar, who quoted
Dr.Mario, saying: "the mystical experiences are mediated by several brain
regions and systems", and misinterpreted the word "mediated" as a denial of
God's reality. In fact, in means that the mystical experiences (or communion
with God) are mediated, not created by the brain.
From his book The Spiritual Mind.A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence
of the Soul, Dr.Mario Beauregard & Denyse O'Leary, Harper One, New York,
2007, I quote a few relevant passages:
"There is no need to choose between science and spirituality. But there is
certainly a need, as there always has been, to choose between materialism
and spirituality.
Science cannot prove or disprove the existence of God, nor can it adjudicate
controversies between religions on doctrines. But it can rule out inadequate
theories of RSMEs (religious, spiritual, and/or mystical experiences)
concocted by materialists.
The evidence presented in this book has shown that RSMEs are not the outcome
of particular genes or neural disorders, nor can they be created merely by
the use of a technology (although many cultures attempt to assist them using
various methods or technologies). It is also shown that the "hard problem"
of consciousness is simply not resolvable in a materialist frame of
reference.
But that hard problem ceases to be a problem once we understand the universe
itself as a product of consciousness" (p.277).
"Did God Create the Brain or Does the Brain Create God?
As we have seen throughout this book, materialist neuroscientists and
philosophers hold that mind, consciousness, and self are by-products of the
brain's electrical and chemical processes, and that RSMEs are "nothing but"
brain states or delusions created by neural activity. Accordingly these
scientists and philosophers believe that there is no spiritual source for
RSMEs, that is, they think that the human brain creates these experiences
and, in so doing, creates God. As this book has been a refutation of their
views from a number of angles, it is only fair that I now set out my own
views.
We have already seen that RSMEs and their neural correlates do not
constitute a direct proof of the existence of God and the spiritual world.
It is unlikely that anything can constitute such a proof to a person who is
determined to deny their existence. However, demonstrating that specific
brain states are associated with RSMEs does not show 6tha6 such experiences
are "nothing but" brain states. And the fact that RSMEs have neural
substrates does not mean that they are merely illusions. Thoughts and
emotions are also associated with specific brain regions and circuits, but
only radical materialists would say that they are illusions merely because
that are neurally grounded" (see pp.289-295).
"Materialist neuroscience cannot reduce mind, consciousness, self, and RSMEs
to "mere neurobiology". I think that the evidence supports the view that
individuals who have RSMEs do in fact contact an objectively real "force"
that exists outside themselves."
**I had said in my posting of May 21, 2005, that "I do admire the effort of
Dr.Santosh Helekar to be objective in his "beliefs and opinions". I had
contact with him on the Goanet for sometime. I understand it, since he is
working in the field of neuroscience. I only fear that his "beliefs and
opinions" may not always be "shaped" by "objective facts and scientific
evidence"... Ivo da C.Souza
***Today I find that I cannot agree with his (mis-)interpretation of the
neuroscientific experiment conducted by Dr.Mario Beauregard. He himself
should find out why he is wrong, and how he is nurturing the false "opinion"
or "belief" that Religion is hallucination (though he avoids the word), that
God is a "figment of mind", that God is not real (he has even misinterpreted
the Cardinal Cormack Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, and made
him "atheist"...) , that all Christians, theologians, religious people,
including Hindus, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Sikh, are "hallucinated",
"epileptic" people... This is the reason why I have reacted against
scientism...
****My conclusions are as follows:
1. Science points out to God and soul. Science cannot be Religion.
2. Nor there is any conflict between Science and Religion, Faith and Reason.
3. Bible does not teach Science, nor does it contradict it.
Regards.
Fr.Ivo
