Brain & Belief: An Exploration of the Human Soul [Paperback]

John McGraw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

From its beginnings in prehistoric religion to its central importance in Western faith traditions, the soul has been a constant source of fascination and speculation. Brain & Belief seeks to understand mankind's obsession with life, death, and the afterlife. Exploring the latest insights from neuroscience, psychopharmacology, and existential psychology, McGraw exhaustively researches the various takes on the human soul and considers the meaning of the soul in a postmodern world. The ambitious scope of the book is balanced by a deeply personal voice whose sympathy for both science and religion is resonant.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...McGraw covers an amazingly broad territory in this fine study. -- Daniel Liechty, author of Transference and Transcendence

...an important addition to the pantheon of popular science books... And it's a good read to boot! -- Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic Magazine

A stimulating narrative...and an accessible pathway to the complex intersection of science, philosophy, psychology and religion. -- Kirkus

McGraw’s work is especially noteworthy in that he combines comprehensive historical excavation with the most recent findings on brain functioning. -- Science & Theology News

This substantially documented work is a philosophical quest to make sense of the myths and realities shrouding the human soul. -- Library Journal

From the Publisher

An important book for our time... Brain & Belief investigates the interwoven threads of neuroscience and religious history and gives us a new idea of what it means to be a human being.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Aegis Press (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974764507
• ISBN-13: 978-0974764504
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Since publishing Brain & Belief in 2004, I've been busy pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology and cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego. I've had the good fortune of doing fieldwork in Guatemala studying the religious traditions of the highland Maya, primarily the Tz'utujil. When time permits, I look forward to writing another book or two. Visit my website at http://www.johnjmcgraw.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at the mind-brain paradox, July 31, 2004

By 

C. MacPhail (Solana Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brain & Belief: An Exploration of the Human Soul (Paperback)

This book confronts one of life's most personal and fascinating paradoxes. Science shows us that the brain is a heap of very fancy chemistry. Yet through consciousness and feelings we experience something more.

The book starts with an exhaustive inventory of traditional and religious thought on the subject over thousands of years. You may want to skim this section.

McGraw then summarizes in 150 pages what modern science has discovered about the workings of the brain.

The third section shows how and why we naturally cling to spiritual beliefs and offers a conclusion.

A great read for anyone interested in science vs. religion or the mind-brain conundrum.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bold & Original Insights; Beautifully Written, May 30, 2005

By 

J. Ellingson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brain & Belief: An Exploration of the Human Soul (Paperback)

Brain and Belief is a book for anyone who's ever considered the dislocation between Western religion and science (from either the perspective of faith or atheism). Anyone wishing to learn more about the role and function of religion in Western society would also find this book fascinating.

The book is divided into three sections: (1) history & discussion of western belief systems; (2) overview of the brain; (3) a resolution and synthesis of the two. If you are well-versed in Western religious thought and neuroscience, section III contains the bulk of the book's insights, and many passages here are truly brilliant.

Brain and Belief also rewards the reader with a beautiful literary style peppered with carefully chosen metaphors and witticisms. I laughed aloud at a passage comparing a biblical description of Heaven to "...Christmas Caroling in a suntan booth forever and ever..." It was one of many.

My biggest complaint, ironically enough, is the 2 page Conclusion chapter at the end. It fails to summarize the book well and doesn't do justice at all to the more brilliant passages of Section III. I read the conclusion first and wasn't sure I wanted to spend my time on the rest of the book, but I'm very, very glad I did.

Highly recommended! Beautifully written, it's insights are bold and original, spawning from the author's rich professional and personal journey.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating voyage, May 2, 2006

By 

Daniel A. Spiro "Author of The Creed Room and... (Bethesda, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brain & Belief: An Exploration of the Human Soul (Paperback)

Like most people, I have long believed in my own immortality because I couldn't bear to face the alternative. Then I read McGraw's Brain & Belief. This book presents a clear challenge: dare to confront why we posit the existence of an immortal human soul. Does this stem from cold, honest logic or mere wishful thinking? It is difficult to imagine how any open minded reader can remain unaffected by the power of Mr. McGraw's challenge.

Ultimately, Brain & Belief is not simply an argument against the soul but a manifesto in support of humanism. The subtext is clear enough - just as we can do quite well without the soul, we can do equally well without God. McGraw never says this explicitly, but does he have to? If we are all discrete beings whose lives begin and end with the pumping of blood inside a limited space, and whose actions are completely the product of random, evolutionary forces, where does that leave the existence of a deity? McGraw is clearly unfazed by death in all manifestations - be it our death or that of our God. Whether his readers will come to embrace the virtues of mortality remains a question, but at the very least, they should never again look at the grim reaper with anywhere near as much horror. And that is the ultimate irony of the book - it makes something as terrible as death seem both more important and more liberating. Truly, this fascinating voyage is well worth the ride.