The ''God'' Part of the Brain: A Scientific Interpretation of Human Spirituality and God

290 Pages·2008·1.02 MB·English

by  Matthew Alper

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GOD
“Excellent reading.”
Praise for The “God” Part of the Brain
—Edward O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize–Winner
The
“ ”
“This cult classic in many ways parallels René Descartes’ search for reliable and c ertain
knowledge...Drawing on such disciplines as philosophy, psychology, and biology, Alper
argues that belief in a spiritual realm is an evolutionary coping method that developed
to help humankind deal with the fear of death...Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal
“I very much enjoyed the account of your spiritual journeyand believe it would make
excellent reading for every college student—the resultant residence-hall debates would
be the best part of their education. It often occurs to me that if, against all odds, there is
a judgmental God and heaven, it will come to pass that when the pearly gates open, those Part
who had the valor to think for themselves will be escorted to the head of the line,
garlanded, and given their own personal audience.”
—Edward O. Wilson, two-time Pulitzer Prize–Winner
“This is an essential bookfor those in search of a scientific understanding of man’s
spiritual nature. Matthew Alper navigates the reader through a labyrinth of
Brain
intriguing questions and then offers undoubtedly clear answers that lead to a
better understanding of our objective reality.”
of the
—Elena Rusyn, MD, PhD; Gray Laboratory; Harvard Medical School
“What a wonderful book you have written. It was not only brilliant and provocative
but also revolutionaryin its approach to spirituality as an inherited trait.”
—Arnold Sadwin, MD, former chief of Neuropsychiatry at the
University of Pennsylvania
“A lively manifesto...For the discipline’s specific application to the matter at hand, I’ve
seen nothing that matches the fury of The ‘God’ Part of the Brain, which perhaps
explains why it’s earned something of a cult following.”
A Scientific Interpretation of
—Salon.com
Human Spirituality and God
“All 6 billion plus inhabitants of Earth should be in possession of this book.
Alper’s tome should be placed in the sacred writings’ section of libraries,
bookstores, and dwellings throughout the world. Matthew Alper is the new
Galileo...Immensely important...Defines in a clear and concise manner what
each of us already knew but were afraid to admit and exclaim.”
—John Scoggins, PhD
Alper
ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-1452-3
Science $14.95 U.S./$15.99 CAN/£7.99 UK ISBN-10: 1-4022-1452-9
Matthew Alper
N
A
E
www.sourcebooks.com
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Praise for The “God” Part of the Brain
“I very much enjoyed the account of your spiritual journey
and believe it would make excellent reading for every col-
lege student—the resultant residence-hall debates would be
the best part of their education. It often occurs to me that if,
against all odds, there is a judgmental God and heaven, it
will come to pass that when the pearly gates open, those who
had the valor to think for themselves will be escorted to the
head of the line, garlanded, and given their own personal
audience.”
—Edward O. Wilson,
two-time Pulitzer Prize–winner
“An impressive compilation of data and ideas…both accu-
rate and thoughtful.”
—E. Fuller Torrey, MD (“The most famous
psychiatrist in America”—the Washington Post)
“All six billion plus inhabitants of Earth should be in
possession of this book. Alper’s tome should be placed
in the sacred writings section of libraries, bookstores,
and dwellings throughout the world. Matthew Alper is
the new Galileo…Immensely important…Defines in a
clear and concise manner what each of us already knew
but were afraid to admit and exclaim. The cat’s out of
the bag.”
—John Scoggins, PhD
GodPart_INT_PB:Layout 1 7/7/08 11:01 AM Page ii
“A lively manifesto…For the discipline’s specific
application to the matter at hand, I’ve seen nothing
that matches the fury of The “God” Part of the Brain,
which perhaps explains why it’s earned something of
a cult following.”
—Salon.com
“This is an essential book for those in search of a scien-
tific understanding of man’s spiritual nature. Matthew
Alper navigates the reader through a labyrinth of
intriguing questions and then offers undoubtedly clear
answers that lead to a better understanding of our
objective reality.”
—Elena Rusyn, MD, PhD, Gray Laboratory,
Harvard Medical School
“Your book was sensational. Your writing was clear
and concise; your summation was bold and master-
ful.”
—William Wright, author of Born That Way: Genes,
Behavior, Personality
“Vibrant…vivacious…an entertaining and provocative
introduction to speculations concerning the neural
basis of spirituality.”
—Free Inquirymagazine
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“Thank you for making sense out of the hunches and gut
feelings I’ve had for years. I feel more peaceful and pos-
itive now. I hope that the candle you’ve lit in the vast
darkness will burn as bright as the sun.”
—John Emerson, PhD
“The best in its field…brilliant.”
—Noe Zamel, MD, FRCPC
“Mr. Alper has written an extremely readable and
comprehensive analysis of the physiological basis of
religiosity…comparable to Freud’s Future of an
Illusionin its contribution to the continuing maturation
of the human mind. I am using The “God” Part of the
Brain to teach a Sociology of Religion course with
remarkable results.”
—William Dusenberry, PhD
“I greatly appreciated The “God” Part of the Brain as it
so nicely summarized and integrated much of the work
being done in this field.”
—Andrew Newberg, MD, PhD,
author of Why God Won’t Go Away
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“Matthew Alper is high maintenance. Not only is his
intellect superior to most PhD candidates that I know,
but his intensity in displaying that intellect and arguing
his world view is more compelling than many of my
grad school courses. So, here I am, fiercely advocating
this unconventional, first-time author who, with one
slim book, has thrown hundreds of years of human
religious beliefs out the window and replaced them
with a concise scientific view of spirituality that is
impossible to argue with. The brain is the secret. In our
brains lie nature’s survival mechanisms in which God
is nothing but a protective lens through which human-
ity is ‘programmed’ to view the world. Matthew Alper
has the chutzpah to remove that lens, to crush it under
his heel, and then, as we cringe in the unfiltered light,
he dares us to look up and stare into the pure scientific
truth he has discovered. The “God” Part of the Brainis a
challenge at first, but once you open your mind to the
potentials of its theories, there is nothing to do but fol-
low its arguments to their logical conclusions. And
although he rips away our old stiff crutches, this auda-
cious philosopher is kind enough to spoon-feed us a
new and positive way to approaching our existences.”
—Rebecca Morris, Editor-in-Chief,
Cardozo Law Journal
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GOD
The
“ ”
Part
Brain
of the
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GOD
The
“ ”
Part
Brain
of the
A Scientific Interpretation of
Human Spirituality and God
Matthew Alper
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Copyright © 2006, 2008 by Matthew Alper
Cover and internal design © 2006, 2008 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Cover photo © Veer
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval
systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or
reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information
in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the
publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional
service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a
competent professional person should be sought.—From a Declaration of Principles
Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of
Publishers and Associations
This book is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified
physician. The intent of this book is to provide accurate general information in
regard to the subject matter covered. If medical advice or other expert help is
needed, the services of an appropriate medical professional should be sought.
Published by Sourcebooks, Inc.
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.sourcebooks.com
Originally published in 1996 by Rogue Press
Alper, Matthew.
The “God” part of the brain.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Psychology, Religious. 2. Brain—Religious aspects. I. Title.
BL53.A47 2006
200.1’9—dc22
ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-2957-2 2006011690
ISBN-10: 1-4022-2957-7
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For more information go to: www.godpart.com
To write the author: [email protected]
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my parents, Joan and Jud, and sister, Elizabeth,
for their enduring support; Dr. E. Fuller Torrey and Dr. Arthur Rifkin
for fixing me; Tonya Bickerton-Watson for her invaluable time; John
Stern; Art Bell; Lisa Lion; Edward O. Wilson; Helena Schwarz; Susan
Rabiner; Sherry Frazier and Lisa Vasher at McNaughton & Gunn;
Arnold Sadwin; William Wright; Joe Fried; Rebecca Morris; Albert
Fernandez; Brandon Quest; Lori Wood; Daniella Monticello;
Dominique Raccah; Hillel Black; Tara VanTimmeren; Matt
Diamond; Megan Dempster; Genene Murphy; and all those innumer-
able others who have helped me along the way.