(3) Neurotheology

Anyway, theologians have long considered a spiritual territory that
they call the "Imaginal Realm." Even some scientists have considered
such, some even calling it the "Psi World." There's a recognition that
there is a realm of Mind/mind that involves a Greater Reality than
that with which we can normally view or connect. The emphasis is
on "normally." Many of the majority in the field of Neurotheology tend
to deny the Imaginal Realm.

This whole business boils down to Insight that, in turn is based on a
combination of intuition, sense, feeling when it comes to relating to
the Imaginal Realm. Religious or spiritual mystics have long claimed
that they have broken through to this special realm--oft giving it
different names to correspond with their personal religious doctrine
or spiritual inclinations.

Regardless, the Imaginal Realm falls into paranormal bailiwicks.
Entering into this realm involves visions, locutions, ecstatic states,
and peak experiences. And Neurotheology, because of recent
technological developments, can monitor the brain when the mind
seemingly is engaged in these special experiences.

Therefore, the only approach I might manage was the "both/and"
view that our brain is necessary to the mind--that our brain had
finally evolved to a physical level where it could help accommodate
our mind that, in turn, is ever moving towards a steadily finer,
sophisticated level of thought and conceptualization. Boiled down,
it was about evolution.

Happily, I have never had any problem with the topic of evolution.
Within my own studies into the mind, working to relate such to the
idea of the Spirit, and how such dwells and works within us, I have
had no trouble viewing the steadily developing evolutionary scale
towards ever greater sophistication. And surely this would mean
that our brain need become ever more sophisticated in order to be
a helpmate to our evolving mental conceptualizations about God
and Spirit, about the Logos-Pneuma.

Still I felt myself stuck in a muddle when it came to formulating my
thoughts around Neurotheology. It was obvious that I would have to
spend a lot of time with Ellen, who had asked me to be a co-author
of a book she was planning to write on the subject of Neurotheology.
All I could hope for was that she might help me become more clear
in my thinking about all this.