Perception and the awareness of God: the importance of neuronal habituation in the context of the Jewish and Christian faiths.
One of the most significant existential dilemmas for the religious person is the discrepancy between the assertion that God is everywhere and eternally present, and the inability to become aware of His presence. In this paper, we discuss how developments in our understanding of the brain's mechanisms for perception may resolve this apparent contradiction. We submit that if God is eternally present and unchangeable, then by the process of neuronal habituation, an individual can be "unaware" of the presence of God. We also discuss the limits of human perception and illustrate the biblical questions concerning the awareness of God.
Drubach
Daniel A
DA
Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine, 200 First Street, SW Rochester, MN, USA. drubach.daniel@mayo.edu
Claassen
Daniel O
DO
D001921:Brain; D002835:Christianity; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D006801:Humans; D007599:Judaism; D009228:Mysticism; D009229:Mythology; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D013561:Symbolism