Neuropsychology of religious experience

Yesterday I came upon an article in the net on the specific subject I have been thinking about for a long time, the neuropsychology of religious experience.

Can religion and spirituality be considered purely as "neural blips and fluxes in brain chemistry"? Using recent advances in brain imaging and neuropsychological research, co-authors Dr. Andrew Newberg and the late Dr. Eugene D'Aquili, both of the University of Pennsylvania, explore that question and arrive at some surprising conclusions about material and spiritual "reality." Their article, adapted for Science & Spirit magazine from their 1999 book The Mystical Mind: Probing the Biology of Religious Experiences, presents an overview of some of their findings.

The author’s conclude: “As a field, the neuroscientific analysis of religious and spiritual experiences is only in its infancy. Much more research must be pursued before we can begin to better understand these complex experiences. However, we are at least able to begin such an exploration as well as consider the consequences. The result — one hopes — will be a wonderful journey that will enlighten ourselves as well as the scientific study of religious experience."