:biggrin:
And to play devil's advocate for a ridiculously retarded individual (I should add that, based on that string of words coming out of that mouth, this is an accurate observation)... she's half-right.
warning, this might be a lengthy post... I'm going to try to make it not so, we'll see...
Think about this: there is a "spirituality" region in the brain, it's rarely utilized but in essence is the bait on the string that allows religion to flourish in the way it has and still does.
To put it another way: when we call upon our strongest spiritual beliefs, it activates that spirituality center. Some research strongly points to spiritual thoughts as centering there, or at the least, strongly activating that region. What happens next is what is most tantalizing: various neurotransmitters are released, sometimes in large excess quantities, and that surge of NTs is responsible for many extraordinary feats revolving around human survival.
Note: not necessarily the strength-based feats, like being able to lift more than ever or something similar, that's simpler: a surge of adrenaline based on primal instinct. The adrenaline rushes we crave are minimal releases of adrenaline when you compare it to a whole-person acceptance of life and death unless you do something seriously insane a minute ago... that type is entirely different and can give us insane one-time abilities, often forcing our conscious brain to the backseat, to the point where one does not even mentally process anything - that's the animal instincts driving autopilot, your body can do far more without the CNS wasting resources on conscious-level activity.
[second note: this is what causes my posts to be what they are]
As far as the NT-surge with activation of the spirituality center, it can actually be one way or the other. Such activity can also be similar to (or the same thing?) as the NT surge you get as you are dying, where it's calm, you feel at peace with everything, etc.
Most to the point, that region is most likely responsible for the flood of NTs responsible with that acceptance and calm some people get during extreme situations. It's a conscious-level focus, which can have it's own perks as well.
There is a lot our body will do simply based on conscious thoughts and how we have primed our brain to react to those thoughts on the unconscious side. It's awe-inspiring to realize that thoughts can have a profound physiological impact.
I almost want to get into Yoga or something similar to that, simply because it's not entirely a religion, though there is spirituality involved. In my mind, it is likely the least "religious" practice that can strongly tune your brain to make use of that spirituality region.
Do note that I'm mostly just rambling here, though I have made references to a few pieces of research. I like taking strong facts, and drawing lines between them and making educated guesses on how things are working underneath.
These things, specifically how different parts of the brain work and why things happen the way they do, are still uncharted territory.
I, as an atheist who strongly understands how these processes work, am definitely going against the grain. I want to convince my brain to compute some things using the spirituality region, without actually getting really spiritual. Think I can do it?
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