Consciousness

12 snips

Oct 21, 2025

Guest

Andrew Newberg

Join philosopher Philip Goff, neuropsychologist Joanna Collicutt, and neuroscientist Andrew Newberg as they dive into the mysteries of consciousness and spirituality. Goff's panpsychism suggests that consciousness exists at a fundamental level in all matter. Collicutt explores how mystical experiences are shaped by brain activity, while Newberg discusses the neural impacts of religious practices like prayer. Together, they examine the contrasting views of the brain's hemispheres, emphasizing how interconnectedness and context can enrich our understanding of spirituality.

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ANECDOTE

Powerful Personal Encounter With Love

Elizabeth Oldfield recounts an overwhelming encounter with a loving presence that defied her normal categories of experience.
The event left a lasting imprint on her spiritual life and resisted simple explanation.

INSIGHT

Contrasting Left And Right Hemisphere Views

Ian McGilchrist contrasts hemispheres: the left sees isolated, abstract parts while the right sees context, relation and flow.
He argues the right hemisphere better grasps meaning, music and religious understanding.

INSIGHT

Neuroscience Adds A Mind-Level Lens

Andrew Newberg says neuroscience adds a new dimension to theological discussion by connecting beliefs to brain processes.
He notes prayer and sacred thought engage language, emotional, and purposive brain regions together.

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Giles Fraser explores Dr. Iain McGilchrist’s brain hemisphere theory, which argues that the left and right hemispheres of the brain perceive the world in radically different ways—and that modern society has become dangerously dominated by the left hemisphere’s analytical, fragmented, and controlling mode of thought. He describes how the two hemispheres of the brain perceive reality in fundamentally different ways. The left hemisphere, he argues, sees a fragmented, abstract world—focused on control and acquisition—while the right hemisphere perceives a flowing, interconnected reality, rich in context, meaning, and mystery.

We unpack this theory with our panel of experts: Dr. Philip Goff, philosopher and professor at Durham University. Philip is known for his work in panpsychism, a philosophical view which proposes that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of the universe—not just something that emerges from complex brains, but something that may be present even at the level of basic matter. His research focuses on the philosophy of mind and the nature of consciousness.

Canon Dr. Joanna Collicutt, psychologist and theologian from the University of Oxford. Joanna brings a unique perspective that bridges psychology, spirituality, and pastoral care—exploring how religious experience shapes and is shaped by the human mind.

And Professor Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist and a leading figure in the emerging field of neurotheology—which explores the relationship between brain function and religious or spiritual experience. Andrew is Professor in the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences and Director of Research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in the United States.

Also on the programme, The Sacred podcaster Elizabeth Oldfield, shares a powerful spiritual experience—one that defied easy explanation and left a lasting imprint on her spiritual life.

Beyond Belief is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4.

Presenter: Giles Fraser Producer: Bara'atu Ibrahim Assistant Producer: Jay Behrouzi & Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton