I've been spending the past year and a half studying the small
   space of conscious awareness; the "space" where songs loop
   around, where memories get pulled in from the deep and interact
   with incoming stimuli; and trying to get a good, strong mental
   picture and understanding of the mechanism and interplay.

   One interesting thing I have noticed, while going through the
   journals (Google Scholar is my buddy here) - is how often, in
   the published papers, when it gets to the realm of the
   experiential; either: a) Buddhism or b) Transcendental
   Medication or c) Yoga comes in.

   These appear to be the only three that find favor within the
   journals at least.

   Perhaps they are the most scientific-like in their
   methodologies; and their absence of strong dieties makes it more
   palatable to utilize their writings and concepts in scientific
   journals than similar traditions found within other religious
   contexts.

   But I believe there is a lot of data that's being dismissed; a
   "throw the baby out with the bathwater" phenomenon due to a
   prejudice within much of what is currently acceptable source
   materials in Science.

   I don't think the Scientific Method, in its current form, is
   robust enough to entirely tackle human experience; the room for
   subjectivity is limited to the hypothesis and the
   interpretations within the conclusions (and the choices of
   methodology specific to each discipline);

   The only way that the Scientific Method could replace all
   religions would be if it tapped into those things which draw
   people into Religions in the first place; that is, those who
   join by choice and not as an accident of Geography or Family
   preferences.

   And, it seems to me, those are things that are subjective and
   not objective. That is where NOMA shines as an answer that is
   practical and reasonable; in my estimation. Until there is
   something within Science that can serve the same functions
   served by Religions, the Atheists dream of a Religion-Free world
   won't happen.

   I'm Agnostic, so I manage to annoy both 'sides fo the fence'
   simultaneously