how god changes your brain

an article from the washington post that was sent to me this morning. a few excerpts that i liked:

"... Newberg asserts that traditional spiritual practices such as prayer and breath control can alter the neural connections of the brain, leading to 'long-lasting states of unity, peacefulness and love.' He assures the mystically challenged that these neural networks begin to develop quickly -- a matter of weeks in meditation, not decades on a Tibetan mountaintop. And though meditation does not require a belief in God, strong religious belief amplifies its effect on the brain and enhances 'social awareness and empathy while subduing destructive feelings and emotions'."

"Contemplating a loving God strengthens portions of our brain -- particularly the frontal lobes and the anterior cingulate -- where empathy and reason reside. Contemplating a wrathful God empowers the limbic system, which is 'filled with aggression and fear.' It is a sobering concept: The God we choose to love changes us into his image, whether he exists or not."

"Newberg employs a vivid image: two packs of neurological wolves, he says, are found in every brain. One pack is old and powerful, oriented toward survival and anger. The other is composed of pups -- the newer parts of the brain, more creative and compassionate -- 'but they are also neurologically vulnerable and slow when compared to the activity in the emotional parts of the brain.' So all human beings are left with a question: Which pack do we feed?"