INTRODUCTION

What is the point of studying religious and spiritual experiences (RSEs)? What can we hope to achieve intellectually and practically? These questions are deceptively simple, but compelling answers prove difficult to construct, suggesting that fascinating and important issues are at stake.

Some years ago in Montreal I had a private conversation with Dr. Andrew Newberg after he had delivered one of his fabulous stump speeches on the neurophysiology of RSEs. Well known for studying expert meditators using functional imaging of the brain, Newberg had colorful resources to draw on for his presentation, and it was entertaining as a result. The lecture was also pregnant with hints about the wider philosophical significance of the research. So when we met I asked him about the point of his study of meditation experiences. I noted that many in his audience that day were enthusiastic about his research and spoke as if he had produced evidence for the authenticity, cognitive reliability, and spiritual value of such experiences. I asked Newberg if he thought his data justified such a conclusion. He replied that he thought that the data justified neither that conclusion nor its opposite. Then he told me that when he makes the very same presentation to groups who tend to view RSEs in a negative light, they are equally enthusiastic and take his research to confirm the delusory and unhealthy character of such experiences.