Los correlatos neuronales de la experiencia religiosa según Eugene d’Aquili y Andrew Newberg
M. Pérez-Marcos
Pensamiento. Revista de Investigación e Información Filosófica August 28, 2026 DOI: 10.14422/pen.v82.i319.y2026.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that d'Aquili and Newberg's theory of the neural basis of religious experience, including the hypothesized brain states during meditation and the concept of the Absolute Unitarian Being, faces philosophical criticisms despite their experimental efforts to support it. |
Abstract
The paper explains Eugene d’Aquili and Andrew Newberg's fundamental ideas about the neural basis of religious experiences, examining their ideas about why the brain creates myths and why rituals are so important. It also explains their hypothesis about what would happen in the brain during the most intense moments of the meditation experience, both in the negative and positive pathways, what they call the Absolute Unitarian Being (AUB). The experimental work they produced to find empirical support for this hypothesis is reviewed, as well as the authors’ interpretations of their results. Their proposal is criticized, especially from a philosophical point of view.