It’s no problem, and I’m definitely staying! I’m from Canada so I’m not sure why he was showing me something from the Middle-East.
In any case, it’s alright. I knew I would encounter discriminatory characters if I came to this site, but I felt I needed to do so regardless. My ultimate goal is more important to me than a few petty insults from some random internet trolls. 
Good I’m glad you’re staying and glad to have you here. We have a few people from Canada on the forum. I think he was making assumptions, but on what I’m not certain.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself…” - Jay-Z - Public Service Announcement
So, I may have hinted at this in other threads but sometimes I feel like God speaks to me through music. Specifically through certain lyrics of a song. Why? Because it randomly pops into my head and I have 0 connection to the songwriters, yet I feel they’re speaking to my soul at this very moment in time. Anyone else ever experience this?
So, I may have hinted at this in other threads but sometimes I feel like God speaks to me through music. Specifically through certain lyrics of a song. Why? Because it randomly pops into my head and I have 0 connection to the songwriters, yet I feel they’re speaking to my soul at this very moment in time. Anyone else ever experience this?
I can answer the scientific reason as to why, but it could disabuse you of your belief and yes, millions of people have experienced this, especially in a religious service using music.
Now the scientific reason… If you don’t want to know the neuroscience behind it and want to cling to your belief, do not read on. My intent in explaining the science behind this isn’t to do harm, but give knowledge. So if you choose to continue reading, below is the scientific reason.
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When there is external stimuli (visual, audio, even movement, which could be tactical), such as music, candles, singing, genuflecting, even a charismatic preacher, this can stimulate chemicals in the brain which gives that feeling of awe and wonder or of a deity. You may feel like it is in your soul, but this is actually neurochemistry in your brain triggering that feeling, which you label as “God speaking to you”.
I can’t remember if this psychologist touched on the neurology in this video, but I found it a very good video explaining why people believe in gods (note, which you have to watch the video to understand, I prefer broccoli over a burger):
I read it, and it didn’t kill my beliefs. Haven’t watched the video yet though… Maybe I’ll do that another time.
I do realize there’s neuroscience behind it though. However, I’ve seen a neurologist and gotten a brain scan in 2010. There was nothing physically wrong with me.
Oh, and for the record, I believe in both God and science, but science for the physical stuff and God for the non-physical. 
When there is external stimuli (visual, audio, even movement, which could be tactical), such as music, candles, singing, genuflecting, even a charismatic preacher, this can stimulate chemicals in the brain which gives that feeling of awe and wonder or of a deity. You may feel like it is in your soul, but this is actually neurochemistry in your brain triggering that feeling, which you label as “God speaking to you”.This process sounds like the same neurochemistry involved in dopamine release. I've never done narcotics, but I assume they get this same feeling, albeit through physical means and only for a temporary period of time.
I do realize there’s neuroscience behind it though. However, I’ve seen a neurologist and gotten a brain scan in 2010. There was nothing physically wrong with me.
No, you don’t have to have anything wrong for this happen. This happens to everyone. It’s just how our neurology reacts to various external stimuli. Some people interpret the numinous feelings as a deity, while others label it something else. Neither label a person gives the feeling nor the feelings mean there is anything wrong with a person. If you didn’t have any neurological reaction to the external stimuli then there’d be something wrong with you.
That’s good. Because this same feeling isn’t just from faith. I feel it whenever I’m passionate about anything. I guess it’s just a “natural high”.
For me, and many Secularists, it’s nature that triggers feeling of awe.
Same! I guess it’s different things for different people. I just like seeing the beauty in everything… and that way the feeling never goes away! Or, it lasts for a while, anyway.
I’ve never done narcotics, – yonkey
Without being too specific, I can say that chemicals induce feelings like you are describing, and recently people are using strong hallucinogens to aid in psychiatry. Also, since by definition you are altering brain chemistry, that experience doesn’t integrate into your memories in the same way a non-altered experience does. There is no easy line to draw here, and the long term effects are difficult to measure. Were all those youthful experiences part of my personal growth, or was that growth stunted because of them? I think that’s a matter of opinion.
Wow, nice insights. ? Thanks for sharing!
This process sounds like the same neurochemistry involved in dopamine release.
Dopamine is a natural neurochemical found in everyone’s brain. You don’t have to do drugs for too much or too little. However, some drugs can block the reuptake of dopamine and others cause the neurochemical to overload the synapses causing a flood of dopamine. However, being in a church, in nature, or anything else that has a lot of external stimuli can cause surge in dopamine and other neurochemicals, such as serotonin.
The human brain is such a majestic organ. It’s like its own universe!
But yes, this whole “natural high” is what I’m trying to capture and use in my blog. I want people to feel happy, excited and inspired. That whole feeling of childlike “wonder” is what I like bringing out in people. It’s what makes life worth living.
It’s like its own universe!
Yes, it is. Very much so. For me, that’s what science is all about. Everything in the universe is within us. It is in us. We are part of it and we can see the universe out there and in us. Our brains light up much like the universe under various circumstances and that feeling of being part of the universe and everything in the universe is in me, all of us, is totally awesome to me. It is also what connects us to other animals too, because what is in us and in the universe, is all in them. It’s also in the earth. We’re not small when we have those numinous feelings and feel as one with the universe and everything around us. Of course, this is all caused by neurology in the brain, but everything we are made of is in the universe, which is far more real than any human created deity.
Very passionate speech! ? Both yours and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s! Speaking of which, I saw on Twitter that he just released a new book today!
Thank you and I’d love to read his new book. The man is AWESOME!
https://images.app.goo.gl/wJzQrNP7YtHGuJiz9
I found this graphic which shows the similarities and differences between three neurotransmitters. Thought it might be interesting to share.
That’s pretty much it. They all have an involvement with mood disorders, as you can see in the graph.