That article, Neurology, Ritual, and Religion: An Initial Exploration, turned out to be actually really very good. A lot of times, I take issue with the sort of thinking that tries to reduce and explain away religion from biological bases. But this one is able to tread that fine line between exploration and explanation.

I came across a really interesting concept in it about two systems of control that run concurrently in the human body, whose interaction can be helpful in understanding religious and ritual experiences. I’ll start with their technical section on that, and then paraphrase from there:

Within the brain, the autonomic nervous system regulates and adjusts baseline body function and responds to external stimuli. It consists of two mutually inhibitory subsystems: the sympathetic or arousal system and the parasympathetic or quiescent system. The arousal system is the source of our fight or flight response, and is connected to the adrenal glands, the amygdala, and reaches into our left cerebral hemisphere. It is sometimes called the “ergotropic” system because it releases energy in the body to react to the environment. The parasympathetic or quiescent system (sometimes called the “trophotropic” system), on the other hand, conserves energy, promotes relaxation and sleep, and maintains basic body function and growth. It includes the endocrine glands, parts of the hypothalamus and the thalamus, and reaches into the right cerebral hemisphere. Although this material is highly complicated, the most important relationships to keep in mind here is that the dominant (analytical) mind is connected to the arousal system and involves the amygdala, and the non-dominant (holistic) mind is connected with the quiescent system and involves the hypothalamus and hippocampus.

So right, they are talking about here how we have two systems, one called the “arousal system” which expends energy, and one called the “quiescent” which seeks to conserve energy. They then talk about how when either of these systems is stimulated to a high degree, it results in a sort of “spillover” effect, activating the other system. Religious ways to activate the arousal system are through intense energy-burning activities, like chanting or excessive dancing; and heavy engagement in these may result in a tranquil blissful experience being released by the spillover of energy into the quiescent system. Sort of like a “runner’s high,” I think. Conversely, people who meditate for long periods of time sometimes report feeling a burst or rush of energy, which could be explained by spillover from the quiescent system activating the arousal system.

They also talk about how prolonged activation of the quiescent system, via practices like meditation is much more difficult for most people, although the “feel-good effects” are generally longer. Whereas, activation of the arousal system is fairly easily acquired across the board, since it basically consists of an adrenaline rush.

Even more interesting than that though, they talk about these “spillover experiences” being moments when both hemispheres of the brain are activated simultaneously, so that things which are normally seen as unsolvable paradoxes are spontaneously solved. The implication here is that this is what happens when people are able to suddenly have religious experiences and physically believe in their reality, whereas otherwise, it doesn’t make logical sense. Which is nuts, and is one of the more thought-provoking explanations I’ve heard in this area.