NotBornYesterday's Journal: The brain treats fact and belief the same

Author and researcher Sam Harris and some of his colleagues have published a study that explores how the brain handles matters of belief vs matters of fact. His findings indicate not only that the brain stores and processes them the same way, but also reveals other interesting details about how our minds handle what we consider to be truth.

This Newsweek article does a decent job of summing up the paper, and highlights a reaction that loyal Slashdot readers will probably find familiar:

... the "blasphemy reaction": that when atheists disagreed with a Christian belief, or when Christians affirmed one, their pleasure centers lit up - proof that the combatants in the faith-versus-reason wars really do enjoy the fight, equally.

As a bonus, all religious discussions, assertion of opinion as fact, and other common Slashdot misbehavior is hereby on-topic for this discussion.

The brain

[harry666t]

I've read once that the brain actually doesn't even distinguish between reality and immagination.

Like, you first close your eyes and try to visualise an apple. Then you open your eyes and take a look at a real apple. The magical brain-scanning instruments show that there is virtually no difference between the brain's reactions in both cases.

Re:

[NotBornYesterday]

I suppose that's not too surprising in itself.

I like the part that affirms that people enjoy defending their own perception of reality, and attacking those they disagree with. Again, at a certain level that's intuitive, because most of us have experienced that from time to time. But it is interesting to see it confirmed with science.

I have to wonder if the title of the Newsweek story is completely accurate, though. In responding to matters of faith, believers and non-believers both experienced a v