For decades, the dialogue between science and religion has been trapped in a stalemate: one side claiming God as a metaphysical entity beyond reach, the other reducing spiritual experience to mere “brain fizzes” or chemical glitches.

Following a dialogue with a prominent theologian, we refine our definition: God is not a biological ‘product’ of the brain, but the infinite depth that ‘insists’ through our physiology when it reaches a state of maximum coherence. The brain is the canvas; the Event of Coherence is the moment the Infinite becomes visible.

The Grammar of the Sacred

In my recent research, I propose a “grammar of the sacred” based on neurophenomenology. Instead of metaphysical speculation, we focus on the Phenomenal Event: a reproducible, observable shift in consciousness.

When we engage in deep contemplative practices, we systematically disengage our “cognitive-evaluative networks”—the parts of the brain responsible for the ego, judgment, and the separation between ‘self’ and ‘other’. As this noise subsides, a remarkable physiological transition occurs.

The Six Phases of Light

This is not a vague feeling, but a structured journey. Through the study of phosphenes (inner light phenomena), we can map a six-phase taxonomy of illumination. It begins with fleeting sparks and culminates in what I define as the Foundational Event: maximal luminous coherence and non-conceptual unity.

At this peak, the nervous system acts as a transparent interface. It doesn’t “create” the divine; rather, it becomes capable of resonating with the “infinite depth” that Ilia Delio describes as the ground of all being. In this state, the brain is no longer a filter that limits our perception, but a window that opens to the horizon of the Infinite.

The Ethics of Coherence

This “Event of God” is not an end in itself. The state of maximum physiological coherence naturally translates into a new Ethics of Coherence. When the system is no longer fragmented, our actions become integrated.

• Integrity is the outward expression of inner coherence.
• Compassion is the recognition of the same “vital presence” in the other.

Conclusion: A 21st-Century Theology

We are moving towards a theology where God is not a static object of belief, but a dynamic event that “insists” within the very matter of our existence. By understanding the neuroscience of this event, we do not explain God away. Instead, we provide the voyagers of the 21st century with a map to the most profound encounter a human being can have: the moment where our biological canvas meets the Infinite Light. Soon we will complete a milestone paper bringing forth a new approach related to the mystery of God.