A Neural Circuit for Spirituality and Religiosity Derived From Patients With Brain Lesions

Over 80% of the global population consider themselves religious, with even more identifying as spiritual, but the neural substrates of spirituality and religiosity remain unresolved. In two independent brain lesion datasets (N1 = 88; N2 = 105), we applied lesion network mapping to test whether lesio...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inBiological psychiatry (1969) Vol. 91; no. 4; pp. 380 - 388
Main Authors Ferguson, Michael A., Schaper, Frederic L.W.V.J., Cohen, Alexander, Siddiqi, Shan, Merrill, Sarah M., Nielsen, Jared A., Grafman, Jordan, Urgesi, Cosimo, Fabbro, Franco, Fox, Michael D.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Elsevier Inc 15.02.2022
Subjects
Brain
Humans
Hyper-religiosity
Imaging
Lesion network mapping
Nervous System Diseases
Pain
Periaqueductal gray
Religion
Spirituality
Religion
Hyper-religiosity
Spirituality
Periaqueductal gray
Lesion network mapping
Imaging
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Over 80% of the global population consider themselves religious, with even more identifying as spiritual, but the neural substrates of spirituality and religiosity remain unresolved. In two independent brain lesion datasets (N1 = 88; N2 = 105), we applied lesion network mapping to test whether lesion locations associated with spiritual and religious belief map to a specific human brain circuit. We found that brain lesions associated with self-reported spirituality map to a brain circuit centered on the periaqueductal gray. Intersection of lesion locations with this same circuit aligned with self-reported religiosity in an independent dataset and previous reports of lesions associated with hyper-religiosity. Lesion locations causing delusions and alien limb syndrome also intersected this circuit. These findings suggest that spirituality and religiosity map to a common brain circuit centered on the periaqueductal gray, a brainstem region previously implicated in fear conditioning, pain modulation, and altruistic behavior.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
MAF and MDF conceptualized and designed the work. MAF, ALC, SS, MDF designed and developed methods. MAF, ALC, SS contributed programming, software development, and implementation of computer code. MAF performed validation and formal analysis. JG, CU, and FF conducted data collection. MAF, FLWVJS, SMM contributed to data curation. MAF prepared the original draft. MAF, FLWVJS, ALC, SS, SMM, JN, JG, CU, FF, MDF reviewed and edited. MAF visualized data and prepared data presentation. MDF supervised research planning and execution. MAF and MDF coordinated project administration. ALC and MDF acquired financial support for the project leading to this publication.
Author contributions
ISSN:0006-3223
1873-2402
DOI:10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.06.016