I recently read that Richard Dawkins underwent an experiment in 2003 where magnetic fields were applied to his head.
It was meant to stimulate the temporal lobes and create a religious experience. It failed on Dawkins; apparently his temporal lobe sensitivity is much lower than average. On others, however, the same treatment had triggered a sense of an invisible presence or out-of-body experiences.
What does this mean for religion? The discussion of such experiments usually follows similar lines. Could it be that the reason an atheist (such as Dawkins) doesn’t believe is simply because he or she is incapable of religious experience? Or, alternatively, that the only reason people do believe is because their brains are out of whack?
Our culture must not be defined by our technology
Essex university has announced it is cutting positions equivalent to about 150 full-time roles, potentially affecting over 500 staff, BBC …