Current scientific philosophy, guided by materialism, argues that religious experience is the product of nothing more than the wiring of the brain. In The Spiritual Brain, Mario Beauregard and Denyse O’Leary, a distinguished neuroscientist and an award-winning writer, argue that this isn’t the case—that some people do contact a reality outside of themselves.
    The authors suggest that we must move toward a non-materialist perspective that can explore and document these types of experiences. Beauregard uses the example of his own fascinating research study in which Montreal nuns were scanned with MRI equipment to show that multiple sections of the brain are involved in religious experiences, not just one “God spot,” as many have claimed.
    Provocative, lively and accessible, The Spiritual Brain is a book for anyone who is religious or spiritual—and for those interested in debate about the existence of a higher consciousness.

MARIO BEAUREGARD, PhD, is currently an associate research professor in the departments of psychology and radiology and at the Neuroscience Research Centre, UniversitÉ de MontrÉal. He is the author of more than one hundred publications in neuroscience, psychology and psychiatry. In 2000, Beauregard was selected by the World Media Net as one of the One Hundred Pioneers of the 21st Century. Beauregard is the author of a number of books, including The Spiritual Brain. He lives in the Montreal area.

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