The parietal lobe is one of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex. It helps establish our understanding of self with space, time, and objects. It is also associated with awareness and attention. Its circuitry with other parts of the brain plays a very significant role in our feeling of union with God. The parietal-frontal circuit, in particular, helps establish a relationship between our conceptions of “self” and “God”. It helps establish the feeling of God’s presence in time and space as well as our connection to this reality. The more we pray and meditate on God’s presence, the more it becomes real. What is tremendously interesting is that intense prayer on the oneness of God and our connection to all things, will help decrease activity in the parietal lobe and lead to an increased sense of selflessness. Through prayer and meditation, there is more of an awareness of “we” rather than simply just “I”. Rather than being egocentric, our mind can alter our perception of self so that we see ourselves as part of all things. Often people consciously or unconsciously think about their divisions. With so many societal distinctions that focus on separation, such as conservative/liberal, black/white, communist/capitalist, etcetera, the ability to overcome division is critical to our ability to engage in empathy and love.
One distinct area of the parietal lobe is called the precuneus. Is believed to play a role in consciousness and self-awareness. It plays a role with memory in creating context with past experience.