Neurotheology: Practical Applications with Regard to Integrative Psychiatry.
Current Psychiatry Reports February 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-024-01584-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health Prayer Psychedelics Religion Spirituality |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Neurotheology can help understand how religious and spiritual phenomena affect brain function and mental health, with both positive and negative effects, and offers practical applications for integrative psychiatry. |
Abstract
Neurotheology is a nascent field of research and scholarship that seeks to understand the relationship between the brain and religious and spiritual phenomena. In the context of integrative psychiatry, neurotheology offers an intriguing intermediary between understanding how spirituality and religion affect brain function, and how this might be related to changes in mental health. A number of research studies over the years have observed that religious and spiritual beliefs, practices, and experiences can have a profound impact on a person's psyche. Many times, the effects are positive leading to lower depression, anxiety and distress. However, there are times that religion and spirituality can lead to negative beliefs and behaviors. Neurotheology seeks to understand both the positive and negative effects of religion and spirituality on mental health from a brain perspective. In addition, neurotheology offers important philosophical insights into the nature of the human mind and how we perceive the reality around us. This review evaluates these many topics as it considers how neurotheology can have practical applications with regard to integrative psychiatry.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review General (healthcare, schools, workplace) | 2021 | Review | |
| A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders | 2017 | Review and consensus statement | |
| Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines | 2005 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology | 2018 | Review | |
| Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Challenges and Strategies | 2020 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 10
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later Journal of Psychopharmacology May 30, 2008
- Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience April 22, 2015
- Implications for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: functional magnetic resonance imaging study with psilocybin The British Journal of Psychiatry January 27, 2012
- Blood Pressure Response to Transcendental Meditation: A Meta-analysis American Journal of Hypertension February 29, 2008
and 5 more in the library