Study Shows Religion Makes The Brain Smaller

[Amaterasu]

Now, I know this will rile some here a bit.  Please don't shoot the messenger.

From:  http://www.businessinsider.com/born-again-brain-size-2012-5

It turns out there is a relationship between the brain and religion.
Researchers at Duke University monitored changes in the hippocampus of 268 adults of specific religious groups over the course of eight years.   

The hippocampus is a region of the brain that plays an important role in emotion as well as memory formation and storage. Atrophy, or shrinking of the hippocampus has been linked to depression, dementia, Alzheimer's disease and chronic stress. 

According to the study from 2011, people who said they experienced a life-changing experience showed greater hippocampal atrophy. Born-again Protestants, Catholics and people who had no religious affiliation also had more hippocampal shrinkage than non born-again Protestants.

Read more at the link.

[Pimander]

This report is either true or BS.  If it riles anyone maybe they need to ask themselves why?

[Littleenki]

A good thread for some hearty debate, Amy, and one you know I couldnt resist!
Metaphorically, its right on the nose, and to meet a religious person and talk to them about anything alternative to what theyve been indoctrinated with is futile, and frustrating.
The shrinkage spoken of here is directly caused by having a closed mind as opposed to an open one, and is the root of why these people dont see the forest through the trees...religion is designed to narrow the mind, and to cloak the truth beyond a simple mindset that follows prehistoric mind control techniques that are still effective today.
Of course, the rile you talk about is the only weapon they have in their sorry arsenal of outdated myths and half truths of misinterpretations.
I find those who boast about how the bible and its contents are the only truth available, are basically cutting off the foot to spite the leg!
Studies have shown many things shrink the brain...living near power lines, listening to the monotonous bass line in rap music, and having too many children etc,etc, so add one to the fire, and maybe it will extinguish its mindless self someday!
Cheers,
Littleenki

[Shasta56]

My experience with Catholocism left me with the impression that thinking is not encouraged.  I was raised Catholic, experienced the changes implemented by the second Vatican council, and eventually figured out that Catholocism and I aren't really compatible.

Shasta

[sky otter]

well my philosophy is to question everything
who the hell decided on this study..who implemented it and who exactly did they study and
what part of the populace did these participants represent
question everything
i was involved with enough research to truly know most of it is bullpoop
some dude has a theory that needs proved so they do a study and
golly gee no matter what the findings..bingo..theory proved..
so who's idea was it to find this out and why

sigh....

here a line further down in the link


Researchers hypothesized that changes in brain size could be linked to long-term stress associated with being a member of a minority religious group. 


and an 8 year study..REALLY...whose relative needed to be employed for that long ..

good buddy george sums it up real well.. even if he goes a bit off topic in the middle

George Carlin -Question Everything



i need to qualify that i am not against religion  but against non thinking and non questioning

[Amaterasu]

Good input, all of You.  I don't know what to make of the study, but it caught My eye and I am glad I brought it here for debate.

[Pimander]

i need to qualify that i am not against religion  but against non thinking and non questioning

However, most - but not necessarily all - religion does not encourage thinking.

Religion tends to encourage either faith and/or belief in a particular system based most often an interpretation of scriptures and laws.  If thinking were encouraged then people born into Christian families would not mainly grow up to be Christians, Muslim children most often Muslims, Buddhists mostly become Buddhists and so on.  Surely that is obvious?

Spirituality and spiritual groups and people (like me) are fine in my book.  Mass religion is just one more opium for the masses.  It is all about control.

[Amaterasu]

I'm with You on that, Pim.  I was raised with no religion - lots of love and ethics, but no religion.  I discovered I am very spiritual, interconnected, and such, but could not accept dogma.

[rdunk]

Quite frankly, I consider even the thought of doing a "study" on this subject quite funny, and would consider whatever the outcomes of the study, to be very suspect. It just seems pretty incredulous to think that any type of learning has any affect whatsoever on brain size, religious learning included. I guess that from this study, one can conclude that learning 1 +1 = 2 increases the brain size, while learning that Jesus is the son of God reduces the brain size??? HUH?

As a matter of interest (as if it matters ), if this be true, then we Christians have Jesus to blame for our having a smaller brain. For, in the Bible, there is a scripture that very directly addresses, on point, why we could blame him for it.

1 Corinthians 2:16
"For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart." (Ampl.)

So, if the God of this universe has given us (we as Christians) his mind, then I guess it is his fault, if it is smaller than a normal brain!!! I can live with that just fine!   

[Linda Brown]

George Carlin. Man, I miss him!

Littleenki said   " good thread for some hearty debate, Amy, and one you know I couldn't resist!
Metaphorically, its right on the nose, and to meet a religious person and talk to them about anything alternative to what they've been indoctrinated with is futile, and frustrating"

We don't need to zero in on just one group.... but if you have had any kind of dealings with a "like" group you will see the similarities the fastest.

My husband was born in Massachusetts.... Cape Cod to be exact.... Provincial thinking is their stock in trade. They are a tough group... Portuguese lobstermen on one side of his family and very early settlers on the other. A tough crowd. The weather and the rough seas don't blow them off course and he inherits those traits honestly and I am proud of him for that.

The downside is..... What ever they don't already know.... is not important. Literally. If knowledge hasn't filtered down to them regarding history or useful concepts.... they don't need to know it. And anything that is outside their realm is... highly suspect.

George " escaped". There was enough of the Portuguese romance in his soul to head for warmer climates and he is adventuresome.... but mentally he still harks back to....the easy to repeat phrase.  " I don't believe it." And even if you come up with proof... if its uncomfortable... he will reject that.

Its something that we have learned to work around. But I do not discuss " other dimensions" or " alien lifeforms" ( They don't exist you see....because if they did.... we would know about them by now.... simple rationale which actually sometimes is difficult to even dispute!) If we would get into any kind of " conspiracy" discussion he dismisses that with a wave of his hand.

So we talk about things that are solid and understandable... and those are the rules in our house.

Georges family of course was Catholic but I am not looking at that alone as the reason for this attitude... I am sure that we can find it all over this country and worldwide....its a mental " comfort zone" that some of us employ and there are times when I appreciate their stand. Life is far simpler when you just don't think about this stuff and if that means using less of the wondrous gift that we call a brain... then.... its every ones personal choice I guess...... so borrowing from a Buffett song I am sure that I am not the only one whose " heart is in the kitchen but whose soul is in the stars."

Linda

[undo11]

what i find interesting about it is, it suggests if you read texts about spirituality and come to a conclusion, that this degrades your brain.  so the overlying message is, "don't have an opinion on anything (except having an opinion that having opinions will make you stewpid)"

hehe

oh no, ole bethy here is not going to fall for this debate about to happen

[rdunk]

what i find interesting about it is, it suggests if you read texts about spirituality and come to a conclusion, that this degrades your brain.  so the overlying message is, "don't have an opinion on anything (except having an opinion that having opinions will make you stewpid)"

hehe

oh no, ole bethy here is not going to fall for this debate about to happen

[sky otter]

gawd linda
i'm laughing real hard here
you could be describing any ethnic group that i have come across..
any tirbe or small group who cling to that ..if we needed to change it would have already happened..
i think my hubby may be realted to george.....sigh..must be some balance of nature we can't agree on this stuff ..he does listen so maybe some day...lol

but it must somehow be in the ancient dna that to survive is to cling to a group and group beliefs
to be safe and protected....to me it's the hive mentality and personaliy
scares the bejesus otta my little brain..

i was raised catholic until..like carlin says..i reached the age of reason
got into tons of trouble for asking questions

so what i really take away from this is
stale = no growth

and Beth.. not pickin on you ..i admire your tenacity and accept that
your conclusion is not the same as mine

[Littleenki]

what i find interesting about it is, it suggests if you read texts about spirituality and come to a conclusion, that this degrades your brain.  so the overlying message is, "don't have an opinion on anything (except having an opinion that having opinions will make you stewpid)"

hehe

oh no, ole bethy here is not going to fall for this debate about to happen

You are a trip, beth!!!! great response!
Le

[Littleenki]

George Carlin. Man, I miss him!

Littleenki said   " good thread for some hearty debate, Amy, and one you know I couldn't resist!
Metaphorically, its right on the nose, and to meet a religious person and talk to them about anything alternative to what they've been indoctrinated with is futile, and frustrating"

We don't need to zero in on just one group.... but if you have had any kind of dealings with a "like" group you will see the similarities the fastest.

My husband was born in Massachusetts.... Cape Cod to be exact.... Provincial thinking is their stock in trade. They are a tough group... Portuguese lobstermen on one side of his family and very early settlers on the other. A tough crowd. The weather and the rough seas don't blow them off course and he inherits those traits honestly and I am proud of him for that.

The downside is..... What ever they don't already know.... is not important. Literally. If knowledge hasn't filtered down to them regarding history or useful concepts.... they don't need to know it. And anything that is outside their realm is... highly suspect.

George " escaped". There was enough of the Portuguese romance in his soul to head for warmer climates and he is adventuresome.... but mentally he still harks back to....the easy to repeat phrase.  " I don't believe it." And even if you come up with proof... if its uncomfortable... he will reject that.

Its something that we have learned to work around. But I do not discuss " other dimensions" or " alien lifeforms" ( They don't exist you see....because if they did.... we would know about them by now.... simple rationale which actually sometimes is difficult to even dispute!) If we would get into any kind of " conspiracy" discussion he dismisses that with a wave of his hand.

So we talk about things that are solid and understandable... and those are the rules in our house.

Georges family of course was Catholic but I am not looking at that alone as the reason for this attitude... I am sure that we can find it all over this country and worldwide....its a mental " comfort zone" that some of us employ and there are times when I appreciate their stand. Life is far simpler when you just don't think about this stuff and if that means using less of the wondrous gift that we call a brain... then.... its every ones personal choice I guess...... so borrowing from a Buffett song I am sure that I am not the only one whose " heart is in the kitchen but whose soul is in the stars."

Linda

Ive never met a George I didnt like, and it is sure to be a high point when I meet him, Linda, as we will be talking chorizo and all the awesome portuguese food there is out there, and then we will get really hungry and make some!!!!
Good for you, George, you are a smart man!
Cheers!
Littleenki