The Soul in the Brain: The Cerebral Basis of Language, Art, and Belief - Paperback

by Michael R. Trimble (Author)

In this provocative study, Michael R. Trimble, M.D., tackles the interrelationship between brain function, language, art--especially music and poetry--and religion. By examining the breakdown of language in several neuropsychiatric disorders, he identifies brain circuits that are involved with metaphor, poetry, music, and religious experiences. Drawing on this body of evidence, Trimble argues that religious experiences and beliefs are explicable biologically and relate to brain function, especially of the nondominant hemisphere.

Inspired by the writings and reflections of his patients--many of whom have epilepsy, psychosis, or affective disorders--Trimble asks how the human species, so enamored of its own logic and critical facilities, has held from the dawn of civilization strong religious beliefs and a reverence for the arts. He explores topics such as the phenomena of hypergraphia and hyper-religiosity, how religious experiences and poetic expression are neurologically linked with our capacity to respond to music, and how neuropsychiatric disorders influence behaviors related to artistic expression and religiosity by disturbing brain function.

With the sensitivity of a dedicated doctor and the curiosity of an accomplished scholar, Trimble offers an insightful analysis of how the study of people with paradigmatical neuropsychiatric conditions can be the cornerstone to unraveling some of the mysteries of the cerebral representations of our highest cultural experiences.

Front Jacket

In this provocative study, Michael R. Trimble, M.D., tackles the interrelationships between brain function, language, art--especially music and poetry--and religion. By examining the breakdown of language in several neuropsychiatric disorders, he identifies brain circuits that are involved with metaphor, poetry, music, and religious experiences. Drawing on this body of evidence, Trimble argues that religious experiences and beliefs have biological foundations which relate to brain function, especially of the nondominant hemisphere. It is through an understanding of these associations that he explores the basis of human creativity.

This book exists . . . to explain matters of the heart using our knowledge of the mind . . . A host of professional students, clinicians, educators, and other well-read individuals will find this worthy of a close and careful read.--JAMA

A highly thought-provoking excursion through neuroscience, philosophy, and culture.--Scientific American Mind

This scholarly, yet provocative, book from an insightful, observant neurologist . . . is rich with thought-provoking ideas.--British Journal of Psychiatry

Trimble's book has elegantly accomplished its ambitious scope in highlighting the cerebral mechanisms that contribute to the most vital aspects of human experience, thus building solid intellectual bridges between different--and often noncommunicating--research fields.--Cognitive Neuropsychiatry

It is hard to imagine reading this book carefully without being enriched by the experience.--Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry

An evocative meditation on art and biology.--Choice

This text considers crucial and significant questions about the relationship between creativity, belief, and the brain. One does not need to agree with the arguments and conclusions to find much of value in this book. I suspect that it will receive a warm critical reception within scientific and medical contexts, and I have no doubt that many receptive readers will also be found amongst an informed general audience.--Journal of Religious History

--Paul McHugh, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine "Choice"

Back Jacket

In this provocative study, Michael R. Trimble, M.D., tackles the interrelationships between brain function, language, art--especially music and poetry--and religion. By examining the breakdown of language in several neuropsychiatric disorders, he identifies brain circuits that are involved with metaphor, poetry, music, and religious experiences. Drawing on this body of evidence, Trimble argues that religious experiences and beliefs have biological foundations which relate to brain function, especially of the nondominant hemisphere. It is through an understanding of these associations that he explores the basis of human creativity.

"This book exists . . . to explain matters of the heart using our knowledge of the mind . . . A host of professional students, clinicians, educators, and other well-read individuals will find this worthy of a close and careful read."--JAMA

"A highly thought-provoking excursion through neuroscience, philosophy, and culture."--Scientific American Mind

"This scholarly, yet provocative, book from an insightful, observant neurologist . . . is rich with thought-provoking ideas."--British Journal of Psychiatry

"Trimble's book has elegantly accomplished its ambitious scope in highlighting the cerebral mechanisms that contribute to the most vital aspects of human experience, thus building solid intellectual bridges between different--and often noncommunicating--research fields."--Cognitive Neuropsychiatry

"It is hard to imagine reading this book carefully without being enriched by the experience."--Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry

"An evocative meditation on art and biology."--Choice

"This text considers crucial and significant questions about the relationship between creativity, belief, and the brain. One does not need to agree with the arguments and conclusions to find much of value in this book. I suspect that it will receive a warm critical reception within scientific and medical contexts, and I have no doubt that many receptive readers will also be found amongst an informed general audience."--Journal of Religious History

Author Biography

Michael R. Trimble, MD, is professor emeritus of behavioral neurology at University College London's Institute of Neurology. He is the author of The Intentional Brain: Motion, Emotion, and the Development of Modern Neuropsychiatry, also published by Johns Hopkins.