KBTV

KBTV::Science of Faith Shoot

As Barry and I were walking out to the dock this morning, I thought about the e-mail I sent after we shot our first piece. And it read:

Hiya, how did you sleep? Did you have fun at dinner?

The Science of Faith pieces came out wonderfully! I wore a brand new, bright, red tank with these little mirror circles around the neck for Part 1 … and an orange diaphanous number for Part 2 … I don’t know what it is but I think RED – maybe for blood – when I think of Faith!

The pieces came out soooo beautiful! We’re still having some audio issues, but I’m busting Barry’s chops as I write!

Have a wonderful day. Only one more piece to go – the Weekend Edition … Liquid Trust!

Write soon and let me know what’s up!

Xo

I reach around my back and switch on my mic. Shoot, I have the baggy Yoga Pants on again, and the battery-laden box is pulling my pants down in the back. I hike up my pants, stare straight into the camera, and let it rip!

Good morning, I’m Kate Bohner for KBTVonline. Welcome to the second part of our two-part series “The Science of Faith” … today we’ll explore the research findings of Dr. Andrew Newberg … he is in the Department of Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with secondary appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Religious Studies.

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Dr. Newberg’s research focuses on the underlying mechanisms which govern our spiritual, social, and individual beliefs …He argues that we are biologically driven to find meaning and wholeness throughout our lives. In fact, as I mentioned yesterday, his research has begun to show that our brains have the capacity to create and maintain a system of beliefs which can take us far beyond our survival-oriented needs. These belief systems not only shape our morals and ethics, but they can be harnessed to heal our bodies and minds, enhance our intimate relationships, and deepen our spiritual connections with others.

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At the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Andrew Newberg is looking for an explanation for what most regard as inexplicable. Newberg is determined to unravel the relationship between faith and science by studying what happens in the brain during the deepest moments of faith. He's recently published a study looking at the brain activity of eight Americans who speak in tongues.

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Study participants like Donna Morgan – a congregant from Freedom Valley Worship Center in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – listened to gospel music during the first scan. ABC News aired a story that showed Ms. Morgan dancing around the waiting room with head phones humming happily to some of her favorite verses. She was then place in an MRI machine – the one that looks like a coffin – and her brain activity was measured. A few days later, Ms. Morgan was asked to complete the same activity while speaking in tongues. The results were dramatically different … and let’s just say she was thrilled with the results … which showed that the frontal lobe … the part of the brain right behind the forehead that's considered the brain's control center … it went quiet. This, she happily claims, SCIENTIFICALLY proves that it is not SHE who is speaking, but that of the Holy Spirit.

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Dr. Newberg has been studying how faith is mapped on the brain for quite some time. In earlier studies, he looked at what happens in the brains of Buddhist monks meditating and Franciscan nuns praying. The results were quite different from what happens in the brains of people speaking in tongues, whose brains, as I already emphasized, went quiet in the frontal lobe. Dr. Newberg has recently published a book called "Why We Believe What We Believe." This innate power of our beliefs to heal or injure, to foster happiness or disease, or generate societal friction or peace is the underlying theme of this book.

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When Dr. Newberg asked if he was skeptical about what he'd find when he decided to study the brain at the moment someone is speaking in tongues, Newberg said, "If … the question is, is this a real phenomenon? Is this really the voice of God speaking through them? That's a much more problematic question, I think, and something that I'm not sure if we have specifically answered just by doing our study." … but … think about it … throughout Dr. Newberg’s experiment … while Ms. Morgan lay still … speaking in tongues … in the MRI brain scan machine … her frontal lobe was completely quiet. So … who WAS doing the talking?

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Thanks for joining today for our two part series “The Science of Faith” … I’m Kate Bohner for KBTVonline … for more information … or two view Part 1 of the series … click over to KBTVonline.com … Have a day.

It’s 9:48 p.m. and I’m beat. Goodnight!

posted by rjoyner @ 11:11 AM