Born to Believe: God, Science, and the Origin of Ordinary and Extraordinary Beliefs and Why We Believe What We Believe http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/ID/204877
Andrew Newberg talked about his book How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neurocientist (Ballantine Books; March 24, 2009). The neuroscientist examined brain scans of memory patients and web-based surveys of people's religious and spiritual experiences. The correlations he found led him to conclude that an active spiritual life physically changes the brain, permanently strengthening neural functioning in specific parts of the brain that aid in lowering anxiety and depression, enhancing social awareness and empathy, and improving cognitive functioning. Dr. Newberg showed images of brain scans. He discussed his work on stage with meditation teacher Loch Kelly. Andrew Newberg is the director of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind and an associate professor in the radiology department at the University of Pennsylvania. He co-wrote How God Changes Your Brain with Mark Robert Waldman, an associate fellow at the center. They are also the co-authors of Born to Believe: God, Science, and the Origin of Ordinary and Extraordinary Beliefs and Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth. This "Meetings of the Minds" program of the second annual "Brainwave" series was held at the Rubin Museum of Art on Sunday April 5, 2009, at 4:00 p.m.
Stepping Stones Headline Animator
Monday, 15 March 2010
The Power of Now and A New Earth
The Power of Now and A New Earth sold millions of copies and are perceived by his readers to be profoundly spiritual. One of Tolle's main points is apparently his emphasis on the present moment, and our subjective experience of our existence in that "spacious" moment.
This focus on the "here and now" sounds very familiar to humanistic or existential psychotherapists, having been employed by pioneering practitioners like Otto Rank, C.G. Jung, Carl Rogers, Rollo May, Fritz Perls, J.F.T. Bugental and many others long before Tolle began writing. Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism, and Taoism influenced existential psychotherapy, placing particular importance on conscious awareness and acceptance of what is in the moment. Tolle takes these perennial, basic Buddhist principles of meditation and popularizes them for the masses. But what does the ravenous hunger for such rehashed and repackaged spiritual wisdom say about the times in which we live? And about the present and future of psychotherapy?
This focus on the "here and now" sounds very familiar to humanistic or existential psychotherapists, having been employed by pioneering practitioners like Otto Rank, C.G. Jung, Carl Rogers, Rollo May, Fritz Perls, J.F.T. Bugental and many others long before Tolle began writing. Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism, and Taoism influenced existential psychotherapy, placing particular importance on conscious awareness and acceptance of what is in the moment. Tolle takes these perennial, basic Buddhist principles of meditation and popularizes them for the masses. But what does the ravenous hunger for such rehashed and repackaged spiritual wisdom say about the times in which we live? And about the present and future of psychotherapy?
Spiritual Historians of Paranormal Evidence (Spiritual H.O.P.E) Society in 2007
Cincinnati Observatory in Mount Lookout evokes thoughts of constellations, historic architecture, and the world's oldest telescope still in use.But ghosts?
DeShane Watkins says there's a good chance those might be there too. He aims to find out this weekend - and is enlisting the public's help to do it.
Watkins, 33, of Dent, founded the local ghost hunting group Spiritual Historians of Paranormal Evidence (Spiritual H.O.P.E) Society in 2007. It investigates what he calls ghostly phenomenon in historic buildings in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and elsewhere. The group has a philanthropic side too, donating half of the proceeds back to the venues, many of which are struggling because of government or agency budget cuts.
"I have a real chance to help save history by doing this," said Watkins, who's booked several ghost hunts this spring. "It's been a heck of a rollercoaster ride."
Spiritual H.O.P.E will conduct the first-ever public ghost hunt at the Observatory March 20.
Participants spend about four hours at the building where they'll hear about its alleged haunted history, learn how "paranormal investigations" work and use "ghost hunting techniques" and equipment themselves. Watkins started investigating the paranormal about 10 years ago and formed Spirtual H.O.P.E in 2007 with partner Crystal Ayers and Kodi, a 14-pound dog named Schipperke who Watkins says may be sensitive to spirits.
Other investigations by the two-person, one-dog group included the Warren County Historical Museum and Glendower Mansion in Lebanon.
The organization conducted a private investigation of the building in February 2009 and believes it found enough evidence - including unexplained voices and music - to schedule a public hunt.
Although ghost hunting and astrological science may not seem to fit together, "It's a good way to get people who might not have been here to the Observatory before to come," said Dean Regas, outreach astronomer for the Observatory. He's heard the "urban legends" about ghosts at the Observatory, although he's never experienced any himself during his 10 years working there.
"It's a fun thing and people are really fascinated (with ghost hunting)," said Regas. "They can judge for themselves and if there is a ghost here, I'd want to know about it."
DeShane Watkins says there's a good chance those might be there too. He aims to find out this weekend - and is enlisting the public's help to do it.
Watkins, 33, of Dent, founded the local ghost hunting group Spiritual Historians of Paranormal Evidence (Spiritual H.O.P.E) Society in 2007. It investigates what he calls ghostly phenomenon in historic buildings in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and elsewhere. The group has a philanthropic side too, donating half of the proceeds back to the venues, many of which are struggling because of government or agency budget cuts.
"I have a real chance to help save history by doing this," said Watkins, who's booked several ghost hunts this spring. "It's been a heck of a rollercoaster ride."
Spiritual H.O.P.E will conduct the first-ever public ghost hunt at the Observatory March 20.
Participants spend about four hours at the building where they'll hear about its alleged haunted history, learn how "paranormal investigations" work and use "ghost hunting techniques" and equipment themselves. Watkins started investigating the paranormal about 10 years ago and formed Spirtual H.O.P.E in 2007 with partner Crystal Ayers and Kodi, a 14-pound dog named Schipperke who Watkins says may be sensitive to spirits.
Other investigations by the two-person, one-dog group included the Warren County Historical Museum and Glendower Mansion in Lebanon.
The organization conducted a private investigation of the building in February 2009 and believes it found enough evidence - including unexplained voices and music - to schedule a public hunt.
Although ghost hunting and astrological science may not seem to fit together, "It's a good way to get people who might not have been here to the Observatory before to come," said Dean Regas, outreach astronomer for the Observatory. He's heard the "urban legends" about ghosts at the Observatory, although he's never experienced any himself during his 10 years working there.
"It's a fun thing and people are really fascinated (with ghost hunting)," said Regas. "They can judge for themselves and if there is a ghost here, I'd want to know about it."
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