Starter quiz
- How are messages from the body relayed to the brain?
- through the circulatory system
- through the digestive system
- through the nervous system ✓
- through the respiratory system
-
- What is the name of the organ in the human head which controls all body functions of the person?
- brain ✓
- heart
- lung
- stomach
-
- In Judaism how does God appear and speak to Moses first?
- in a dream
- as a burning bush ✓
- God sends an angel
- as a dove
-
- In Christianity, how does Mary, mother of Jesus, learn of her special role?
- she has a special dream
- an angel speaks to her ✓
- a family member tells her
- God speaks directly to her
-
- Which term means a being that is all powerful and there is nothing this being can't do?
- omnibenevolent
- omnipotent ✓
- omnipresent
- omniscient
- touch
-
- What term means the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge and values?
- 'philosophy' ✓
Exit quiz
- Where would a person feel the pain of a stubbed toe?
- in their brain ✓
- in their heart
- in their stomach
- in their toe
-
- Which term means the study of how the brain works in relation to the body?
- biochemistry
- neuroscience ✓
- physiology
- psychology
-
- Which of these is the temporal lobe connected to?
- actions
- emotions ✓
- memories ✓
- movement
- speech ✓
-
- Which of these could be seen as a religious experience?
- hearing the voice of God ✓
- feeling water on your face in a shower
- hearing an alarm clock in the morning
- feeling an intense connection with all living things ✓
- hearing a friend on the telephone
-
- Which medical condition has been linked to 'religious' experiences?
- anxiety
- migraines
- sleep paralysis
- temporal lobe epilepsy ✓
-
- What is the name of the neuroscientist who studied the link between temporal lobe epilepsy and religious experiences?
- Armstrong
- Locke
- Plato
- Ramachandran ✓
- Taves
-
Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The human brain functions through sending and receiving signals.
- The temporal lobe is one area of the brain that processes speech, memories and emotions.
- Temporal lobe epilepsy can cause feelings simliar to religious experiences.
- Ramachandran is a scholar who has linked the temporal lobe to religious experiences.
Common misconception
Scientific explanations for religious experiences mean there is no God or higher power involved.
Some may argue that scientific explanations can help us understand how a God or higher power is causing religious experiences.
Keywords
Epilepsy - a medical condition where a person has repeated fits or episodes caused by unusual brain activity
Neuroscience - the study of how the brain and nervous system work; a neuroscientist is a person who studies this
Religious experience - a personal feeling or moment when someone believes they connect with a higher power or God
Senses - the way that human or animal bodies gather information about the world around them
Temporal lobe - a part of the brain that helps with hearing, memory and understanding language
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