I've always suspect that religion was kind of our "default" wiring.

Apparently yes. You can see the beginnings of superstition / religion in animal behavior. This shows the inclination predates being human.

We are a product of a million years of evolution, our genes build us as wired to survive, be curious, and procreate. It will take a while for the species to 'adjust' some of those genes. Just my theory.

“the work of the scientists does seem to show that there's some connection with our gray matters and our pray matters. So, is nirvana all in our noggin? Are we simply responding to brain firings when we drag ourselves out of bed on Sunday morning?”

Yes, there is *psychology”—a mental disposition—that affects our behavior, undoubtedly, but as I expressed in my previous post i think a good case is made about the drive to satisfy certain needs. Maybe brain matter correlates to that drive but nevertheless it seems that we are not driven on our own volition and are destined in respects because of the ticking of the brain. It is easy to see this when someone is drugged with various kinds of drugs. Under different brain conditions we not only act differently but believe differently.

Check out the book “Everybody Is Wrong About God”: [amazon.com]

“Every time someone says that he believes in God, he’s saying that he has psychological or social needs that he doesn’t know how to meet.”

“three broad factors seem to characterize what religion does for people. All three are attempts to satisfy psychosocial needs, and they are needs for attribution, control, and sociality.”

So, yes, the hard-wiring is there but some people fulfill their needs without having to resort to religion.

I think the bible is a huge exaggeration of a little bit of truth

The fact that we have sought "gods" since we first became conscious, suggests that religion is our default program. The fact that we still contend with it in the light of all this science and technology, again suggests that it's a go-to response to the world around us... just like fear. Fear is still our go-to response when something goes wrong. The fact is, we're storytelling animals, and religion provides a comforting story. Somehow we need to find a new story that we can live into. One that allows us to grow into this new era we've reached.

Most people seem to believe in religion. Mostly it seems that fear motivates that kind of thinking. Fear of being alone, fear of not surviving, fear of not having help in a time of need. To create god, man has to deny reality.

No. Most of the studies were done on religious people, especially those with deep-seated beliefs. My wife has temporal lobe epilepsy and has not had the experience of "seeing" God or gods. I agree with GreenAtheist, that the mind is wired for recognition and can be manipulated to persuade a person that there is something extraordinary about an experience.

Insanity I think not. People will believe as they wish to based on evidence, objective and subjective, flawed and proper, as they deem to fit into their conception of life. If they believe in a god, then such experiences will reveal a god to them.

Yes many tales of the Book like Moses and the burning bush.

I believe it! When, I read the book of Revelations as a teen, I thought -- even then -- that these are the demented ravings of a lunatic.

I believe it! When, I read the book of Revelations as a teen, I thought -- even then -- that these are the demented ravings of a lunatic.

No we are hardwired to nurture to recognize facial compatibility to remember long journey directions for food or habitat. ...such wiring easily gets manipulated by shamans who mystify childbirth and sex for mind control over the clan which is how religions were invented in the dark ages of tribes