Today is the official release date of the book and the date I have started this blog. The purpose of this blog is two-fold.
    The first purpose is to update new facts, discoveries and ideas that are relevant to the book, as I find them. I subscribe to about 12 different magazines and journals on science, biology, nature, medicine, neuroscience and other subjects. Anything that I find relevant to the subjects covered in the “Did Man Create God?” book will be covered. If readers come across items they think are relevant to the subject let me know and I will be happy to include them.
    The second purpose is to provide answers to reader’s questions, complaints, or other issues. I realize the subject matter of this book may be controversial and even disturbing to some readers. I will welcome and be respectful of all opinions and thoughts. All I ask is that you do the same. No profanity or other inappropriate comments. The purpose of the book is to allow people have their thinking brain and their spiritual brain be at peace. The purpose of the blog is the same.
    I will attempt to make entries at lest once a week. Since I have many things on my plate I cannot respond daily.
   
    The first issue involves a very nice email I received from Dr. Michael Persinger. Dr. Persinger, Ph.D. is a faculty member in the Departments of Psychology and Biology, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Biomolecular Sciences at Laurentian University, Subbury, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of Neuropsychological Bases of God Beliefs.
       He kindly commented that “Did Man Create God?”  was “One of the most integrative, innovative and revolutionary books I have read in decades.” 
       I covered his book and other studies extensively in The Spiritual Brain chapter (p390-394). One of the many research items he published involved studies showing that placing magnets (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) over the temporal lobes elicited feelings of spirituality and transcendence in many subjects. I also reviewed (p376-378) a report by Granqvist and colleagues from Sweden. They carried out a blinded study and stated they could not reproduce this finding. Dr. Persinger, in turn, faulted different aspects of their study.
        Dr. Persinger sent me the following note: “ Did you ever read the actual correspondence between this group and us? If you are interested my comments and the actual emails can be found on our website.  Access www.laurentian.ca (main page), then go to the yellow tool bar and access Academic Matters. This will take you to programs. Access Behavioural Neuroscience Program. Once there, click "news" and the entire history is there, including the email exchanges. We logged it at that time (2005) because we thought it might have historical significance and we thought anyone should be able to see the total correspondence.”
    I was not aware of this link and readers of this blog who are interested in this intriguing piece of neuroscience will find the above interesting reading. As I stated in the book (p378) this interchange represents what science is all about – a lively interaction between scientists with varying views.