Course Syllabus
Neuroscience of Religion & Atheism |
 |
| Semester & Location: |
Fall 2024 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
Neuroscience, Psychology, Religious Studies |
|
Prerequisite(s): |
One course in neuroscience, physiological psychology, biological psychology, or cognitive psychology at university level. |
| Faculty Members: |
Mette Bohn Jespersen (current students please contact via the Canvas Inbox) |
| Program Contact: |
Department email address psy.cns@dis.dk |
| Time & Place: |
Time: Thursdays 1:15-4:10PM Classroom: Fi6-Metro (Fiolstræde 6) 102 |
Course Summary
The course offers a biological and cognitive psychological approach to explore and debate what neuroscience, psychology, and related fields reveal about the brain’s role in spiritual experiences, religiosity, and atheism.
Main topics include in-depth discussions of the nature of the field of neurotheology; health benefits and risks related to being or not being religious; functional neuroanatomy, cognition, and neurochemistry of religious and spiritual experience; neurochemistry correlated with spiritual experiences, mystical states and religiosity across the lifespan with respect to cognitive factors.
The course is divided in two main themes (Belief Systems and Spirituality & Health), where we kick off the semester by exploring different approaches to understanding belief systems and religion, ending up discussing and exploring overall health benefits of belief systems and rituals, and how it can be integrated in our daily life.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you will gain insight into the complexity of researching religion, spirituality, and atheism from a neuroscientific perspective. You will be informed about some of the most relevant debates and research directions currently being pursued pertaining to the exploration of the “religious” brain.
We will explore evolutionary arguments for and against religion, we discuss studies that explore religion and spirituality in the brain related to health, and how and if it is beneficial to integrate in our healthcare systems and daily life. You will also gain understanding of the neuropsychological perspectives on neural networks and neurochemistry related to behavior, belief systems and healing.
During our course you will get hands-on experience with different kinds of meditations, rituals and feel the healing effects of sounds. You will work with different creative ways of communicating complex theories to a nonacademic audience on social media, and you get to explore a self-chosen topic related to our main themes in depth in the final essay.
Faculty
Mette Bohn Jespersen
Neuropsychologist, Master of Psychology with a double major in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Copenhagen, 2015. BA of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, 2011. Previously I studied Economies and Organizational Psychology at Copenhagen Business School, and I have a background within the field of Management and Recruitment. I have worked as a Clinical Psychologist since 2012 providing counseling and therapy to individuals and couples from various backgrounds, and since 2016 I have worked within the field of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation after acquired brain injury. I have lived several years abroad both in Europe and North America, and I completed my internship as a graduate psychologist in Toronto, CA. I love teaching and exploring all matters within the field of neuroscience, health, and psychology.
Field Studies
- Church Meditation
- A visit to a common Church of Denmark, where we will explore different ways of using the church space and engage in spiritual practices.
- Yoga & Sound Healing Workshop
- Hands-on experience with the healing effects of yoga, breathing, meditative movements and sound healing.
Guest Lecturer
- Christian Green, Neuroscience Major and former DIS student, will give a lecture on network theory and how you can understand the brains neural networks as information hubs, that spreads ideas and thoughts in specific patterns. We will use this fascinating theory to discuss how religious ideas form and spread and how this information can be useful in social media.
- Salman Ahmad - PhD in Psychology (2005) from Osmania University, India. Worked as faculty and consultant in the areas of psychology, leadership and organizational development across South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. In Denmark since 2010. Chief Consultant at the Living Institute and External Lecturer at Copenhagen Business School. Faculty member with the Department of Psychology at DIS since 2013.
Approach to teaching
A key component of this course is student participation and discussion. It is thought that students should take responsibility for their own learning, and that discussion and debate is the cornerstone of a good learning environment.
Most classes are structured such that it begins with a short exercise or sum-up from the previous class, which will often be practical in nature, and thereby activate and engage the students. This is then followed by a lecture, where essential ideas and complex theories are explained to the class. Afterwards, the class will engage in group work and discussion, to summarize and integrate the lecture, and readings.
Expectations of the Students
This course emphasizes collaborative learning. This involves in-class group activities and frequent discussion among peers punctuated by mini-lectures from the instructor for context and direction. It is expected by the instructor, that each student engages actively in class, and 25% of the final grade is based on it.
Grading
To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all the assigned work.
|
Component |
Weight |
|
Dynamic Participation, Engagement & Attendance (individual) |
25 % |
|
NoRA Instagram Project (group)
|
15 % |
| Discussion Inspiration (individual) |
15 % |
| Field Study Reflection (individual) |
10 % |
|
NoRA Essay (individual) |
35 % |
|
Total |
100 % |
Dynamic Participation, Engagement & Attendance
The heart of this class is driven by student participation. The primary character of the class will be exploration of ideas, idea generation, inquiry, and discussion. Students must bring to class an inquisitive mind, a willingness to share their thoughts, ideas, and questions. There will be group work and presentations during our classes where we will work with specific neuroscience models and theories, and you will be asked to present your group work in class. We will work with different approaches to get the best overview of complex readings and theories and how to present and communicate our findings in creative ways. Grades will be deducted when participatory efforts are lacking, as well as unexcused, unnotified, and frequent absenteeism.
Discussion Inspiration
Each week you will post on our group's collective digital 'Padlet' a question, reflection or inspiration from other classes related to the weekly reading that will guide our class discussions.
NoRA Instagram Project
SciComm strategies are an important part of communicating any research and complex theories – after all, what’s the point of doing research or reviews if the information cannot be shared effectively with others? It is essential that we learn how to communicate our research findings and complex theories not just clearly and effectively to other scientists and grant funding agencies, but also to lay audiences (including friends, family members, general public) and lawmakers, so that we can use our knowledge to impact our peers and our society.
During our course we will work with different ways of communicating our findings from class on social media (Instagram) to a mixed audience (i.e., scholars and non-scholars). The overall idea and learning outcome are to work with different ways of disseminating what we learn in class to others in a fun, non-academic and creative way. In groups you will be assigned to make a summarizing Instagram post from a specific class including a creative component of how to engage in spiritual and healing practices, and present it in class.
Field Study Reflections
An important part of our class is to reflect on, and experience different components of ritualistic practices. As so one or more of our field studies will involve practical exercises and you will be required to complete the exercise as described and submit a short-written reflection. The reflections will be graded as complete/incomplete, not for content. This assignment is not about academic achievement, rather it is for you to engage in ritualistic practices, and try to reflect on the effect or usefulness of them.
NoRA Essay
Towards the end of our course, you will be presented with an individual assignment, a course essay, where you must demonstrate an academic view on a self-chosen topic based on our readings and discussions from our lectures. The aim is to analyze and critically reflect on the topic by using theoretical perspectives and models as we have discussed in class.
Readings - find the readings here
- Barabási, Albert (2015). Network Science. E-book. Chapter 1, 2 & 3.
- Barrett & Griffiths (2018). Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates.
- Bartel & Mosabbir (2021). Possible Mechanisms for the Effect of Sound Vibration on Human Health.
- Dunbar, Robin (2020). Religion, The Social Brain and The Mystical Stance.
- Glannon, W. (2004). Transcendence & Healing.
- Lindenfors, P. (2019). Divine placebo: Health and the evolution of religion.
- Mohandas, E. (2008). “Neurobiology of Spirituality.” Mens Sana Monographs 6, 1: 63–80.
- Nash et al. (2022). Resting state networks of believers & non-belivers.
- Newberg, Andrew (2018). Neurotheology: How Science Can Enlighten Us About Spirituality. Chapter 3, 6, 10 & 11.
- Newberg, A. B. et al. (2003). “The Neural Basis of the Complex Task of Meditation: Neurotransmitter and Neurochemical Considerations.” Medical Hypotheses 61: 282–291.
- Pollan, Michael (2018). How to Change Your Mind. E-book. Chapter 5 & 6.
- Ritchie, S. L. (2017). Does contemporary neuroscience debunk religious belief? Chapter 7 in Philosophy, Science, Religion for Everyone.
- Saver & Rabin (1997). The Neural Substrates of Religious Experience.
- Schienle et al. (2021). Placebo Effects in the Context of Religious Beliefs and Practices: A Resting-State Functional Connectivity Study.
- Schjødt, Uffe (2009). The Religious Brain: A general introduction to the experimental neuroscience of religion. Method & Theory in the study of religion. 21(3):310-339.
- Wager, T. D. & Atlas, L. Y. (2015). The neuroscience of placebo effects: connecting context, learning and health. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 16. 403-418
- Weir, K. (2020). What do you believe? American Psychological Association.
- Yaden, D. B. (2016). Neuroscience and Religion: Surveying the Field. Mental Religion, Chapter 17, pp. 277-299.
- Zuckerman, P. (2009). Why are Danes and Swedes so irreligious? Nordic Journal of Religion and Society 22(I): 55-69
Academic Accommodations
Your learning experience in this class is important to me. If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support academicsupport@dis.dk
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
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