Fresh Air, Andrew Newberg and Michael Baime

Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Michael Baime, M.D. discuss God and the brain on this edition of Fresh Air. Newberg conducted brain scans while people prayed and meditated to see if he could locate the brain function that caused the feeling of oneness and the presence of God. His book on the subject is called Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief, by Newberg, Eugene D'Aqulli, M.D. and Vince Rause. Newberg is an assistant professor in the department of Radiology in the Division of Nuclear Medicine, and an instructor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Michael Baime was one of the participants in the study. He is a mediation expert who runs a stress management program out of the University of Pennsylvania. Baime is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He has practiced meditation since the age of 14. (Broadcast Date: June 20, 2001)