Understanding Biology in Religious Experience: The Biogenetic Structuralist Approach of Eugene d’Aquili and Andrew Newberg
September 1, 2001 M. Spezio
A critical review of Eugene d'Aquili and Andrew Newberg's book The Mystical Mind, which proposes a model of how brain activity gives rise to mystical experiences and examines neurobiological responses to rhythmic behavior in religious ritual. The review discusses the authors' biogenetic structuralist perspective on the biological bases of religious experience, constraints on religious narratives, and implications for reconstructing rituals and myths. It also addresses their proposal for a megatheology appealing to diverse religious worldviews.