In an attempt to answer millenia-old questions, researchers at the Missouri University, led by Brick Johnstone, conducted a new set of scientific experiments in an attempt to decipher exactly what makes some people more religious than others. Instead of opting for numerous MRI scans, they turned to a classic method of studying the processes in the human brain, namely studying them on people with brain damage. Their results suggest that a small area in our brain could be responsible for feeling spiritual.

“The area in question – the right parietal lobe (RPL) – is responsible for defining 'Me,'" Johnstone says. It's also responsible for defining a sense of one's self and self-criticism, and it's highly developed in people who are less spiritual or religious. This lobe constantly upgrades itself from our daily experiences, the researcher adds, and is responsible for keeping the body and mind up-to-date with the various changes that occur socially.

 

Silencing the right parietal lobe can be achieved through deep states of meditation or prayers, as is the case with meditating monks and praying nuns. Also, the breath-taking beauty of nature can catalyze such feelings, when people faced with a picturesque view say things like “I feel so small” or “I feel like I could lose myself.” Charity work is another way of softening the boundaries surrounding the RPL, and making people more selfless.

 

The attribute of selflessness, the researchers say, is one of the most important in the lives of spiritual people. "If you look in the Torah, the Old Testament, the New Testament, in the Koran, a lot of Sufi writings, Buddhist writings, and Hindu writings, they all talk about selflessness," argues Johnstone.

 

Plus, all these religions are praised for inciting a better mental condition in their followers, as well as a better physical health than those who are not spiritual. The researchers speculate that this may also have something to do with the silencing of the Me-defining portion of the brain, although the exact mechanisms are not fully understood.