Andrew Newberg - Bridging the Gap: Science and Spirit in Search of Common Ground

Dr. Andrew Newberg, director of research in nuclear medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and coauthor of Why God Won't Go Away, is one of the world's foremost experts in the study of mystical states and the mind. His research seeks to uncover the physical correlates—if any actually exist—between spiritual experiences and measurable changes within the brain itself. Employing an arsenal of advanced imaging technologies, Dr. Newberg maps the changing neurological landscape of his test subjects while they engage in prayer, meditation, and other religious and spiritual activities.

Dr. Newberg's goal is not simply to find quantifiable counterparts to subjective experience. He recognizes that science alone may not be able to answer questions such as: Does the experience of emptiness produce an observable effect in the brain? If it does, does some particular area of the brain “house” this profound meditative experience? What are the implications for how we think about consciousness and the mind if the ecstatic realization of God doesn't stem from the brain at all? Dr. Newberg himself acknowledges that “individuals have that kind of experience where they go outside of the brain to take a glimpse of ultimate reality.”

In this intriguing interview with EnlightenNext editor Craig Hamilton, Dr. Newberg discusses the results of his research and speaks about why he advocates a more integrated approach to the study and pursuit of science and spirituality.

BIO

Andrew Newberg, MD, is Director of Clinical Nuclear Medicine, Director of NeuroPET Research, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. In collaboration with the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Dr. Newberg has actively pursued neuroimaging research projects, including the study of aging and dementia, epilepsy, and other neurological and psychiatric disorders. Additionally, he has researched the neurophysiological correlates of acupuncture, meditation, and other types of complementary therapies.

Moving beyond the study of specific disorders, Dr. Newberg's research now largely focuses on how brain function is associated with various mental states—in particular, the relationship between brain function and mystical or religious experiences. The results and implications of this research are delineated in Dr. Newberg's book Why God Won't Go Away.

Dr. Newberg has presented his research at national and international scientific and religious meetings; his numerous published articles and chapters cover the topics of brain function, brain imaging, and the study of religious and mystical experiences. In addition to the extensive press he has received, he has appeared on ABC's World News Tonight and is coauthor, along with Eugene G. d'Aquili, MD, of the book The Mystical Mind: Probing the Biology of Belief (Fortress Press). Dr. Newberg received a Science and Religion Course Award from the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, to teach the course entitled "The Biology of Spirituality" in the Department of Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania (Spring, 2000).