Religion Harvard study finds that brain damage is linked to religious fundamentalism

[Maciamo]

A new study suggests a link between brain damage and increased religious fundamentalism.

The study involved analyzing brain lesions in two groups: veterans and rural Iowa patients with brain injuries.

The research found an overlap in brain areas associated with religious fundamentalism, confabulation, and criminal behavior.

Religious fundamentalism is characterized by rigid adherence to religious doctrines, often linked to traits like authoritarianism and resistance to doubt.

Previous studies have suggested that biology, including genetic factors or brain function, may influence religiosity.

This study is one of the first to look at specific brain networks that could underlie fundamentalist thinking.

Here is the paper on PNAS: A neural network for religious fundamentalism derived from patients with brain lesions

Significance

Religious fundamentalism is a global and enduring phenomenon. Measuring religious fundamentalism following focal brain damage may lend insight into its neural basis. We use lesion network mapping, a technique that uses connectivity data to identify functional brain networks, to analyze two large, independent datasets of brain lesion patients. We found a network of brain regions that, when damaged, are linked to higher religious fundamentalism. This functional network was lateralized to the right hemisphere and overlaps with the locations of brain lesions associated with specific neuropsychiatric and behavioral conditions. Our findings shed light on neuroanatomy that may influence the emergence of religious fundamentalism, offering implications for understanding the relationship between brain networks and fundamentalist behavior.

Abstract

Religious fundamentalism, characterized by rigid adherence to a set of beliefs putatively revealing inerrant truths, is ubiquitous across cultures and has a global impact on society. Understanding the psychological and neurobiological processes producing religious fundamentalism may inform a variety of scientific, sociological, and cultural questions. Research indicates that brain damage can alter religious fundamentalism. However, the precise brain regions involved with these changes remain unknown. Here, we analyzed brain lesions associated with varying levels of religious fundamentalism in two large datasets from independent laboratories. Lesions associated with greater fundamentalism were connected to a specific brain network with nodes in the right orbitofrontal, dorsolateral prefrontal, and inferior parietal lobe. This fundamentalism network was strongly right hemisphere lateralized and highly reproducible across the independent datasets (r = 0.82) with cross-validations between datasets. To explore the relationship of this network to lesions previously studied by our group, we tested for similarities to twenty-one lesion-associated conditions. Lesions associated with confabulation and criminal behavior showed a similar connectivity pattern as lesions associated with greater fundamentalism. Moreover, lesions associated with poststroke pain showed a similar connectivity pattern as lesions associated with lower fundamentalism. These findings are consistent with the current understanding of hemispheric specializations for reasoning and lend insight into previously observed epidemiological associations with fundamentalism, such as cognitive rigidity and outgroup hostility

 

[Jovialis]

It also shows how stupid the Republicans may be, considering they could probably win the election easily, but chose to back extremist anti-abortionism. Probably the most unpopular position in US politics, which alienates the vast majority of the population. All because of religious fundamentalism backed by large donors. They would rather throw away any comfortable lead to gain power and die on a hill that the majority doesn't actually want. Charlie Kirk recently said if his 10 year old daughter was raped, he would have her carry the child to term. I don't know what kind of a man would do that, it's just repulsive and disturbing.

 

[Maciamo]

Lesions associated with greater fundamentalism were connected to a specific brain network with nodes in the right orbitofrontal, dorsolateral prefrontal, and inferior parietal lobe. This fundamentalism network was strongly right hemisphere lateralized and highly reproducible across the independent datasets (r = 0.82) with cross-validations between datasets.

Here are some of the functions of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex according to Wikipedia.

"The DLPFC may also be involved in the act of deception and lying, which is thought to inhibit normal tendency to truth telling. Research also suggests that using TMS on the DLPFC can impede a person's ability to lie or to tell the truth."

In the past, before the development of modern science and universal education, it was easy to believe in religion as there was little factual evidence to prove that many ideas or dogma of religions were false. For example, ancient people believed that gods were responsible for the weather — anything from rain and thunder to droughts and floods. Nowadays it sounds so childishly naive as to be comical. But back then they didn't know better. Until about the 19th century most people in the world believed that infectious diseases and epidemics were also caused by God(s), the devil, or evil spirits (depending on one's religion) simply because nobody knew about viruses and bacteria. That was the only explanation they could think of. However people who still believe that today, or who believe that Earth is flat, that human magically appeared on Earth only a few thousand years ago, or any other such nonsenses disproved by science, must be people with serious neurological problems. It makes perfect sense that such people would have lesions in a part of the brain linked to the identifying and telling the truth, or relating to self-deception.


"Additionally, supporting evidence suggests that the DLPFC may also play a role in conflict-induced behavioral adjustment, for instance when an individual decides what to do when faced with conflicting rules."

"Schizophrenia may be partially attributed to a lack in activity in the frontal lobe. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is especially underactive when a person has chronic schizophrenia."

I have mentioned several times in discussions about Christianity on this forum that fundamentalist Christians are essentially schizophrenic in their beliefs. In other words they strongly believe things that are highly contradictory and do not seem to be disturbed by it. Now we have a neurological explanation to that.

 

[Jovialis]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1839001109756608797

 

[Riverman]

It also shows how stupid the Republicans may be, considering they could probably win the election easily, but chose to back extremist anti-abortionism. Probably the most unpopular position in US politics, which alienates the vast majority of the population. All because of religious fundamentalism backed by large donors. They would rather throw away any comfortable lead to gain power and die on a hill that the majority doesn't actually want. Charlie Kirk recently said if his 10 year old daughter was raped, he would have her carry the child to term. I don't know what kind of a man would do that, it's just repulsive and disturbing.

Agreed, this is one of the most stupid positions of the American conservatives and religious right. Even more so if they go with their anti-abortion stance that far.

 

[Maciamo]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1839001109756608797

These are all possibilities but I was also thinking that there might be a hereditary component to it. Intelligence is highly hereditary. There are many times of intelligence and each of them is inherited individually. For example parents who are gifted for learning languages will pass that gift to their offspring, but if there aren't good at maths then their children aren't more likely to be gifted at maths than average. That's because each specialised part of the brain is influenced by different genes. I was thinking that a genetic predisposition for a less active dorsolateral prefrontal cortex could lead people to become more religious. As very religious people, and especially fundamentalists, tend to marry like-minded people, their children would inherit this predisposition toward higher religiosity and less active dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

The findings from this study indicate that the same part of the brain is involved in higher religiosity/fundamentalism and schizophrenia. I asked ChatGPT how hereditaries schizophrenia was and here is the answer:

"Schizophrenia has a significant hereditary component, though it is not purely genetic. Studies suggest that genetics account for about 60-80% of the risk of developing schizophrenia, meaning that a person with a close relative (like a parent or sibling) with schizophrenia has a higher likelihood of developing the disorder compared to the general population.

For example, if one parent has schizophrenia, the child has about a 10% risk of developing it. If both parents have schizophrenia, the risk increases to about 40-50%. In comparison, the general population has around a 1% risk of developing schizophrenia.

While genetics play a key role, environmental factors like stress, drug use, trauma, and prenatal factors are also important in determining whether someone develops schizophrenia. The interaction between these genetic and environmental factors is thought to contribute to the onset of the disorder."

It could very well be that this increased genetic risk of developing schizophrenia is at least partially linked to a less developed or less active dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, as this is exactly the part of the brain that has been associated with schizophrenia when dysfunctional. So it is also possible that religious fundamentalism is in part genetically inherited, at least when combined with signs of schizophrenia.

 

[CrazyDonkey]

It also shows how stupid the Republicans may be, considering they could probably win the election easily, but chose to back extremist anti-abortionism. Probably the most unpopular position in US politics, which alienates the vast majority of the population. All because of religious fundamentalism backed by large donors. They would rather throw away any comfortable lead to gain power and die on a hill that the majority doesn't actually want. Charlie Kirk recently said if his 10 year old daughter was raped, he would have her carry the child to term. I don't know what kind of a man would do that, it's just repulsive and disturbing.

And once it is born, they don't give a crap about it.