The God Helmet

Simply put, in my tradition, the subjective experience of religion is pretty much irrelevant. A "spiritual" feeling, or the feeling that there is "something there" is nice, but irrelevant. Instead our entire faith is based upon external proclamation, and hearing what is proclaimed. In fact, we discount the whole concept that religion is an experience, because we understand emotions to be secondary to the objective truths being proclaimed in the message. If the secondary effects, the "religious" or "mystical" feeling is present, that's great. If it isn't, that's great too. It doesn't matter.

Look at it this way: remember the last time you experienced wonder or awe at the reality of the universe, as revealed by the most current science. Now, imagine yourself working in that field, day-by-day, doing the grunt work that is most science. You are still doing science. Sometimes that wonder and awe returns. Most of the time it's just a memory. Same thing. The emotional experience is secondary to objective reality.

First off, I think that just stimulating this part of the brain doesn't invalidate the existence of a spiritual realm. In fact, to me it validates that these feelings are useful, otherwise why would our brains be capable of it?

I imagine the sense of existence outside of ourselves is important both evolutionarily and spiritually.

Unfortunately, I also imagine this new knowledge will be abused (i.e. may become this century's LSD).