AI Article Synopsis
- Atheism and agnosticism are getting more popular, but we don't really understand how our brains work differently when it comes to belief or non-belief in religion.
- In this study, researchers used brain activity measurements to find out that Non-Believers think things through more deeply, while Believers rely on gut feelings.
- The study shows that Non-Believers might view things in a more careful and thoughtful way, while Believers might be more spontaneous and intuitive in how they see the world.
Article Abstract
Atheism and agnosticism are becoming increasingly popular, yet the neural processes underpinning individual differences in religious belief and non-belief remain poorly understood. In the current study, we examined differences between Believers and Non-Believers with regard to fundamental neural resting networks using EEG microstate analysis. Results demonstrated that Non-Believers show increased contribution from a resting-state network associated with deliberative or analytic processing (Microstate D), and Believers show increased contribution from a network associated with intuitive or automatic processing (Microstate C). Further, analysis of resting-state network communication suggested that Non-Believers may process visual information in a more deliberative or top-down manner, and Believers may process visual information in a more intuitive or bottom-up manner. These results support dual process explanations of individual differences in religious belief and add to the representation of non-belief as more than merely a lack of belief.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108283 | DOI Listing |
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