Neuroscientists report that there is no "god spot" in the brain where mystical experiences are centered. Université de Montréal researchers conducted fMRI brain scans on fifteen nuns as they recalled previous mystical experiences. As they recalled their moments with God, brain regions involved in self-consciousness, emotion, and body representation lit up. The results of the study were published in Neuroscience Letters. From a press release:
"The main goal of the study was to identify the neural correlates of a mystical experience," explained Beauregard. "This does not diminish the meaning and value of such an experience, and neither does it confirm or disconfirm the existence of God.
This study demonstrated that a dozen different regions of the brain are activated during a mystical experience. This type of research became very popular in the United States in the late 1990s. Some researchers went as far as suggesting the possibility of a specific brain region designed (italics mine–ed.) for communication with God. This latest research discredits such theories.
