I only know what I read in the papers.....

from the Philadelphia Inquirer....."But what really surprised him was McDermott's thalamus, a tiny region of the brain that regulates the processing of sights and sounds and other data.  Newberg, who has scanned thousands of human brains, including meditating monks and nuns both Christian and Buddhist, told Hagerty that he has found asymmetrical thalami to be a kind of "spiritual marker," often associated with "spiritual virtuosos."  Those asymmetries are typically in the range of 3 to 5 percent.  McDermott's thalamus was 15 percent asymmetrical, the most pronounced Newberg had ever seen."   This is in an article about "neurotheology."  Hagerty expresses a sense that "the instruments of brain science are picking up something beyond this material world."  Of course, in Stoic metaphysics, we don't have to posit that the spiritual is in fact something beyond this material world.....the Stoics taught the doctrine of the Material Soul.  So we don't need any supernatural explanations, you see?  Natural explanations can, indeed must, recognize soul power, baby!