Psych Of Religion Research Paper

How does the Psych of Religion resolve conflict between Science and Religion?
In the past, both hard and soft sciences have been a link through which we could factually explain everything, down to the origins of life. Unfortunately, human behavior has proven itself to be far more complex than advocates of human sciences could imagine. The “brave new world” promised by new technologies has turned out to be just as dominated by war and injustices as those “primitive” religious cultures. Peace, many people have come to believe, can only be found through the beliefs of the individual. Religion often provides the perfect avenue on which to base those beliefs. The scientific world can show us how much and where brain activity occurs when people …show more content…
It is largely found in the eastern world, but spreading throughout western society very quickly. A variety of meditation techniques share the common goal of shifting attention away from habitual modes of thinking and perception, in order to permit experiencing in a different way. This aids the religious in experiencing their God and obtaining divine instruction. From the scientific standpoint, meditation has a very real biological factor. The release of certain chemicals in the body put a focus on certain areas of the brain while relaxing others. While this would explain the effects of meditation of the participant, it does not negate the original purpose of the act. To better clarify, here is an example of the interpretation of meditation from the viewpoint of the performer, then the scientist. Many religious and spiritual traditions that employ meditation assert that the world most of us know is an illusion. This illusion is said to be created by our habitual mode of separating, classifying and labeling our perceptual experiences. On the other hand, concentrative meditation can enable someone to reach an altered state characterized by a loss of sensory awareness of extraneous stimuli, one-pointed attention to the meditation object to the exclusion of all other thoughts, and feelings of bliss, all caused by the release of endorphins and other such chemicals. In the eyes of the …show more content…
It is a form of communication between the person and their deity. The scientist’s interests would center on the fact that religious psychology has shown that people who pray are a lot happier. According to Dr. Nielsen of Georgia Southern University “When researchers have examined how religious experiences relate to happiness, they find the same sort of pattern. Religious experiences, particularly when they happened during prayer, have been the most powerful predictor of happiness.” This is very exciting to the scientist in every psychologist because the next question is “why?”. Without going into detail, this very subject has influenced research that suggests three main reasons for the happiness associated with prayer. They are social support, firm beliefs and the religion itself. It is very mentally gratifying to believe that you have been in contact with your God. Obviously this caused positive feelings, which trigger (again) the release of stimulating chemicals. So, it stands to reason that something that makes the participant experience happiness should be encouraged. That a scientist would encourage religion seems a bit unlikely, but it has in fact been done so following similar studies as the one