Ample evidence connects dreams with spiritual and religious experiences, yet dreams remain understudied as a source of supernatural agent concepts. Stories about life-changing dreams appear frequently in religious literature and oral tradition. Many people throughout history claim to have encountered supernatural agents in dreams,…
To many, the idea of an invisible person who watches over you and rewards or punishes you according to your behavior sounds like a fairy tale. Sure, many American children believe in Santa Claus, but they eventually outgrow those beliefs. Why…
Around the world and throughout history, people have expressed belief in the existence of powerful, invisible entities who — much like us — have intentions, needs, and goals. Whether gods, demons, ghosts, or ancestor spirits, these “supernatural agents” cannot be…
Designing cutting-edge technology to understand human cognition We’ve all experienced it. A terrifying monster is chasing you. You try to run but your legs won’t work. It’s as if you’re trudging through a thick swamp. You can’t escape. Fear and…
In addition to conducting research, we need to communicate it. Project-specific communication, in the form of blog posts, newsletters, and social media can advance understanding, inform future donors, and enact change. By sharing CMAC’s research methods, project goals, and specific…
CMAC has been developing a novel program to help those suffering from Chronic Nightmare Disorder. Led by Dr. Patrick McNamara, our Rescript team uses Oculus Rift virtual reality technology to manipulate upsetting or nightmare-inducing imagery. Individuals use the Oculus Rift…
Patrick McNamara, Wesley J Wildman, George Hodulik, David Rohr SLEEP Advances Study Objectives: To test and extend Levin & Nielsen’s (2007) Affective Network Dysfunction (AND) model with nightmare disorder (ND) image characteristics, and then to implement the extension as a computational simulation, the…
Founding Director Patrick McNamara and Co-Author Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences Special Issue: The Evolution of Language June 2018 Abstract: The mesocortical dopaminergic system innervates two major forebrain networks important in language processing: the frontal–parietal network (FPN) and the ‘social brain’…
Doctoral Fellows Jonathan Morgan and Chris Halloran, Founding Director Patrick McNamara, Executive Director Wesley Wildman, Research Assistant April Minsky and Co-Authors Neuropsychologia August 2016 Abstract: The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that religious primes would influence…
Doctoral Fellow Jonathan Morgan, Founding Director Dr. Patrick McNamara and Co-Authors Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Volume 13.3 July 5, 2016 Abstract: We present the case of a 78-year-old male who, 16 years ago, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD)…
Founding Director Patrick McNamara, Post-Doctoral Fellow Erica Harris and Co-Author Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition May 4, 2016 Abstract: Possible selves can be used to self-regulate and guide behavior towards what is desired to be achieved or avoided in life. Previous work…
Founding Director Patrick McNamara Sacred Spaces Volume 7 2015 Abstract: The neuroscience literature supports the idea that spiritual transformation is a powerful behavioral and cognitive change process involving fundamental alterations in the sense of self. Brain regions that are known to mediate the…
Research Associate Catherine Caldwell-Harris, Founding Director Patrick McNamara and Co-Authors The 33rd Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society Boston Massachusetts, 2011 Abstract: The cognitive science of religion is a new field which explains religious belief as emerging from normal…