Does prayer actually trick your mind into believing in a god by re-circuiting the brain?

Does prayer (every day multiple times a day) actually trick your mind into *feeling* or believing a god by re-circuiting the brain?

I say this as, I am an agnostic and well spiritual in a way, but not in the conventional sense the media puts “spiritual” these days….. But I still pray (not multiple times a day) but there has been a lot of stress in my life, and I have been praying more. And then I felt like I had an epiphany earlier today. I honestly felt like I was praying to god, not like praying, but I actually felt like my prayer got transmitted through some sort of medium to god (whatever god is I don’t know).

So my question is, could the brain actually re wire its self to trick your mind into believing into a god?

A Little bit about the plasticity of the brain:
www.sharpbrains.com...

Neu­ro­plas­tic­ity occurs in the brain:

1– At the begin­ning of life: when the imma­ture brain orga­nizes itself.

2– In case of brain injury: to com­pen­sate for lost func­tions or max­i­mize remain­ing functions.

3– Through adult­hood: when­ever some­thing new is learned and memorized

As you see you see that whenever something new is learned and “memorized” your brain sort of re wires itself. Now constant prayer must have a large affect on the brain.

Hopefully we can have a great discussion about this.

reply to post by Maddogkull


I am not religious, but I can see the merit in prayer, as it is simply the focussing of intent, and I do believe we can influence reality with mind power.

Yeah talk to yourself long enough you will go crazy. Any form of meditation is gratifying I'm sure its just dopamine release

I read a study that pretty much says that when you truly believe, your brain enters a euphoric state. It actually does the same thing that some psychoactive drugs do, on a small scale.
The effect is heightened when you're in a church setting, or when you pray heavily.
I think there may be more than a coincidence in it all.

Prayer = talking to yourself. Thats it!

I am sure MANY of the STARVING children ALL OVER the world are praying constantly, and GENUINELY MEANING IT and yet... they end up STARVING to death in the end...

Prayer doesnt work and when you think it "worked" it is simply a COINCIDENCE.

I know religious fools who pray for everything, and every minute of every day. And once one of their ZILLION prayers do get "answered" they say SEE IT WORKS!!

After a ZILLION prayers, er I mean, a ZILLION sessions of talking to yourself, one of them WILL of course happen due to PROBABILITY. In all honesty, I bet "praying" to a WALL would return a higher probability of "answered prayers" to be honest.

Lots of silly people out there talking to themselves. Silly pitiful adults talking to imaginary friends.

reply to post by Maddogkull


You would probably be very interested to ready my article on an obscure quote from the Gospel of Philip. Check the link in my signature and read the article on Glass and Ceramic. Consider that spirit is consciousness. We are artificial bio-mechanical creations. We are endowed with a soul. The soul is paired with the Spirit of God. This represents the temple. The temple is veiled from the spirit so that we live by faith. When Jesus was crucified, the veil was torn from top to bottom, indicating that we are now able to see into the temple. The water cleanses the temple during the sacrifice. The sacrifice is made in this life by enduring trials. The vessels of the sacrifice are our hands, arms, legs, mind and so on. What stands in the way of our communication with the spirit within? In other words, our soul and God's spirit must find union. Atonement for sin is At-One-Ment with the Spirit from belief and love for God. No unions happen in nature apart from love.

Back to the article in my signature. The article outlines the nature of crystals and how this relates to the transmission of information. It also documents the relationship between glass that is clear, possessing the ability to be reshaped. It also outlines ceramic, which is too hard to remake without extreme heat. Ceramic also exists with a facade. What does it take for a heart to be molded by God? Consciousness must be made Holy. The Holy Spirit is given to man after four baptisms.

Earth (Dust of), Air (Breath of God), Water (Baptism - Immersion into the water of reality for the sacrifice) and Fire (Trials and Refinement in the furnace).

Jesus said, "You must be born again."

John the Baptist (Elijah) is in charge of the water. Reference 1 Kings 17. In Matthew 3, we are given the significance of Water baptism and Fire baptism. Who does John refuse to baptize after Jesus appears?

Matthew 3

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Elijah prepares the way for Jesus. He is in charge of the water and baptism into life according to 1 Kings 17. How many souls are here to see Christ return? 7 Billion. Seven is the number of completion. Elijah has turned on the water full blast. Now, read this verse.

Revelation 1:7

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

Even those who pierced him will see. They are here today. They just don't know it yet. How do you think consciousness is changed by prayer? It is our only direct line to the Spirit. The Spirit leads us as the Shepherd through the wilderness.

Confucius said, "I hear and I forget. I see and I learn. I do and I understand."

Four baptisms allows for sentience to be developed by suffering. Suffering leads to reward. Taking reward leads to suffering. Smoke and you get cancer. Suffer work and get paid. It's all in the direction we take. If we steal, we are going against God. If we give, we are moving with God. The Spirit is always there leading. He either shows us our good work or we light the fire we burn by. God's consuming fire is the flaming sword that protects the tree of life. To gain access, we must avoid the flames and use the water as intended.

To understand this, you must see the larger picture.

Your post has no point in this thread, accept its moral disregard. Stop bashing the believers, and mature a little.

To- HangTheTraitors

Originally posted by Maddogkull
Your post has no point in this thread, accept its moral disregard. Stop bashing the believers, and mature a little.

To- HangTheTraitors

edit on 14-4-2012 by Maddogkull because: (no reason given)

Oh really? Your thread is: "Does prayer actually trick your mind into believing in a god by re-circuiting the brain?"

My response is: Praying = talking to yourself PERIOD, nothing more.

If you cannot handle opposing views than you shouldnt post threads, eh?

Prayer is SILLY. As is having imaginary friends. Adults need to GROW UP already, it 2012 for crying out loud.

reply to post by HangTheTraitors


I can imagine that it would be of no use if you talked to yourself. I mean the level of ignorance and annoyance would be counter productive for you.

Originally posted by HangTheTraitors

Originally posted by Maddogkull
Your post has no point in this thread, accept its moral disregard. Stop bashing the believers, and mature a little.

To- HangTheTraitors

edit on 14-4-2012 by Maddogkull because: (no reason given)

Oh really?

Your thread is: "Does prayer actually trick your mind into believing in a god by re-circuiting the brain?"

My response is: Praying = talking to yourself PERIOD, nothing more.

If you cannot handle opposing views than you shouldnt post threads, eh?

Prayer is SILLY. As is having imaginary friends. Adults need to GROW UP already, it 2012 for crying out loud.

edit on 14-4-2012 by HangTheTraitors because: (no reason given)

Ask your "SELF" to demonstrate Himself to you over the next week. Pray with earnestness. See if it is God or you doing the miracles over the next week. Knock and the door is opened. Seek and you will find. You are scoffing at a reality that billions already know as verifiable truth with evidence.

Read my post above. You might learn something of value. Children often scoff until they realize how to expand awareness. The way to expand awareness is to get away from your SELF. A baby suckles the milk of the mother until it realizes that a better food is further away. Eventually, the young child turns into a young man and ventures further from home. Eventually, he sees his own autonomy apart from where he started. A person who lacks awareness is often tied to the self for a lifetime. There's more to the ocean than the surface and waves. The best part is down deep where it's hard to see.

Hebrews 5:13

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

The bridge between the literal world and the spiritual is virtue. Like Paul states above, an infant has not learned to move away from the mother. Learning from the Spirit requires a movement away from childish things.

1 Corinthians 13

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Love requires humility and not pride. Again, a child is full of pride. An adult has learned to humble himself before truth. Life has a way of clearing the path by trials of fire.

reply to post by Maddogkull

Your post has no point in this thread, accept its moral disregard. Stop bashing the believers, and mature a little.

Err maybe so
But religion is force fed to you when you are young and as you mature and are told that these are your beliefs you are basically given no choice of any alternative religions only told to believe this or that
I think it should be banned until you become of an age say 18 to make your own decission which hate filled faith you choose to follow or not

Cran

reply to post by Maddogkull

Does prayer (every day multiple times a day) actually trick your mind into *feeling* or believing a god by re-circuiting the brain?

You pose a very good question there, friend, and I suppose in many ways you are right on. I know of a Force. A Force of Energy that is everywhere, and in everything. I figure human beings create thought forms when they do things like pray, for instance. So, to follow your theory, one could form an image of a God, or Goddess, in the mindset, and give it form, through prayer, using the Force. Make sense to you?

reply to post by HangTheTraitors


What are your credentials? Neuroscientist? Bio-chemist? Do you have any idea how the human body works at all? Or are you just someone that thinks their smart because they have to see observational evidence for something to be true??? looks like we’re out of visionaries of this world if you put it that way Hang. Once we stop praying we have no hope (in a sense). Might as well be robots. People pray for help, guidance, and happiness. Hope. I would say the people who are ignorant are the ones that are blind believers (of religion and science). If you believe praying is stupid, what about creativity? People creating music, are essentially talking to themselves/through themselves, through the rhythm of music. I guess that is stupid to. If people are ignorant of other peoples beliefs we will never advance. And I do like objective criticism. But saying praying is talking to yourself without providing any evidence, is stupid. And all those emocons hehe… Common buddy use some words.

reply to post by cranspace


This thread is not about religion......it is about praying changing the neuroplasticity of your brain...

reply to post by lobotomizemecapin


psyphz.psych.wisc.edu...

Enjoy!

Originally posted by Maddogkull
Does prayer (every day multiple times a day) actually trick your mind into *feeling* or believing a god by re-circuiting the brain?

I say this as, I am an agnostic and well spiritual in a way, but not in the conventional sense the media puts “spiritual” these days….. But I still pray (not multiple times a day) but there has been a lot of stress in my life, and I have been praying more. And then I felt like I had an epiphany earlier today. I honestly felt like I was praying to god, not like praying, but I actually felt like my prayer got transmitted through some sort of medium to god (whatever god is I don’t know).

So my question is, could the brain actually re wire its self to trick your mind into believing into a god?

A Little bit about the plasticity of the brain:
www.sharpbrains.com...

Neu­ro­plas­tic­ity occurs in the brain:

1– At the begin­ning of life: when the imma­ture brain orga­nizes itself.

2– In case of brain injury: to com­pen­sate for lost func­tions or max­i­mize remain­ing functions.

3– Through adult­hood: when­ever some­thing new is learned and memorized

As you see you see that whenever something new is learned and “memorized” your brain sort of re wires itself. Now constant prayer must have a large affect on the brain.

Hopefully we can have a great discussion about this.

edit on 14-4-2012 by Maddogkull because: (no reason given)

In so far as 'duality' and the need to 'separate' ourselves from Source is concerned...all makes perfect sense...

Whether we attribute this 'prayer/orison/call' to a 'higher' entity than ourselves is more to the point...

We are the Source, in all it's manifestations...if we choose to divide ourselves (necessarily on this level) we can question all we like...our questions will take up all the time that should be being focused on realising our...not just connection...but, 'part' IN the Source...and to uplift one cell is to begin the uplift of the whole...in this way, we move to the next stage, in an ever-recurring drama on this plane and others...

Prayer (whatever title you give it, and in whichever way you choose to do it, or explain it) is the same thing in all cases...a realisation that you are a cell of the Source and have the ability to manifest (according to free will) whatever you genuinely can imagine...

A

Here's my problem with this..and a lot of other things. Re-wiring of the brain totally happens no matter what activity you are constantly engaging in. Like learning new tricks as the OP mentioned. BUT..

Is this re-wiring the cause or the symptom? Does the re-wiring occur for the sake of tricking us and legitimizing the experience? Or is it the symptom of literally broadening our minds? Perhaps there is a fine line between the two, eh?

My vote is that it is not a trick.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Exactly my point. But the agnostic in me always has me thinking, could this just be my mind tricking me or the sake of human survival (prayer). But the spiritual side of me believes this is something else.

reply to post by Maddogkull


I didn't mean to hijack your point and call it my own. Sorry! But I do think there is a fine line. That fine line has to exist otherwise we'd all agree on what prayer/meditation is. And the day all the humans start agreeing on stuff..then you know something is wrong!

I too have a spiritual and practical side, as well as my doubts. They are often in conflict. I don't think being on the fence is such a bad thing when it comes to this. It allows you to view both playing fields and take the best of both. And if it is a trick, then it is a darn good trick. I don't really have a problem with premium, high-quality snake oil. I think one just has to decide if the trick is benefiting them in any way or not. Placebos can be an effective treatment too.

I used to pray a Lot and I know my brain was re-wired to some extent simply because of what has already been stated - the brain re-wires itself whenever you learn anything new and is in fact always in a state of upgrading it's "wiring" as we live our daily lives..

But.. did this make me believe in God?

No. What made me believe was experiencing the paranormal aspects associated with prayer - miracles, instant healing for myself and healing other people - a gift of the Holy Spirit.

These are things my brain could not accomplish no matter how much it was re-wired. Sure some re-wiring goes on, but it's not responsible for a belief in God or for experiencing his gifts. These things take place in the human soul, not in the physical brain.