The Body of "the Body of Christ": An Introduction to Hyperscanning Research and a Discussion of Its Possible Implications for Understanding Social Experiences During Religious Gatherings

Neuroscience has become a well-accepted methodological modality in the study of religion, especially of religious behavior, personal prayer, meditation, mysticism, spiritual experience, and personal religious experiences. However, such studies have been performed on individuals only; none have helpe...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Authors: Forman, Robert K.C. 1947- (Author) ; Wald-Fuhrmann, Melanie 1979- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Springer Science Business Media B. V. 2024
In: Pastoral psychology
Year: 2024, Volume: 73, Issue: 3, Pages: 379-394
Further subjects:B Social neuroscience
B Hyperbrain
B Religious communities
B Hyperscanning
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:Neuroscience has become a well-accepted methodological modality in the study of religion, especially of religious behavior, personal prayer, meditation, mysticism, spiritual experience, and personal religious experiences. However, such studies have been performed on individuals only; none have helped scholars understand the neuro-physiological correlates of religious communities, religious interactions, collective liturgical action, or the like. This article introduces the new field of social neuroscience, showing how its primary tool, hyperscanning, is revealing surprising levels of "brain-to-brain synchrony." Though there are no hyperscanning studies of religious communities yet, the authors suggest that findings about shared attention, interpersonal coordination, and feelings of closeness all have clear parallels in and implications for religious communities. The authors then suggest both directions and cautions for future research.
ISSN:1573-6679
Contains:Enthalten in: Pastoral psychology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s11089-024-01142-x