Study Finds Link Between Brain Damage and Religious Fundamentalism @alternet

Study Finds Link Between Brain Damage and Religious Fundamentalism @alternet: Lacking 'cognitive flexibility' could contribute to radical religious belief. A new study published in the journal Neuropsychologia has shown that religious fundamentalism is, in part, the result of a functional impairment in a brain region known as the prefrontal cortex. The findings suggest that damage to particular areas of the prefrontal cortex indirectly promotes religious fundamentalism by diminishing cognitive flexibility and openness—a psychology term that describes a personality trait which involves dimensions like curiosity, creativity, and open-mindedness.