In the quest to understand religious experience, scientists study the brains of religious people and ask questions like: “Where do spirituality and the brain meet? Does religious belief promote emotional health? Can we watch spiritual experience change the brain?”

While I share this curiosity, I realize that study of nature will never provide satisfying explanations for spiritual experience. Supernatural experience, by definition, lies beyond the scope of nature. Even so, looking for reflections of spiritual experience in the activity of the brain can be fascinating.

One recent study (1) examined the link between brain structure and spiritual viewpoint. Researchers studied the brains of 103 people and found that those who professed a strong spiritual belief had thicker cortical regions of brain. The neuroscientists also found that people with strong spiritual beliefs were less likely to develop depressive illness.

This does not mean that people with strong religious belief will always have healthier brain structure. Neither does it mean that people of faith will never get depressed. It does, however, suggest that spiritual commitment may help to preserve emotional and physical health.

The religious sage and brain scientist appear to be reaching agreement that prayer, worship, and meditation are good for your mind, body, and spirit.

* While clearly not equivalent terms, spirituality and religious belief are used interchangeably in this posting since they were found to have comparable links to brain thickness and emotional health.

(1) Published by Journal of American Medical Association, Psychiatry (on-line) at: http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1792140