Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying Religious Belief: Biological Predisposition vs. Social Construction

The origin of the concept of God is a central question at the intersection of neuroscience, cognitive science, and social theory. This review proposes an integrative model in which religious belief emerges as an interaction between neurocognitive mechanisms, genetic predispositions, and sociocultural influences. Specifically, neural circuits including ventromedial prefrontal-limbic networks (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) support emotional valuation and rational evaluation of supernatural agents, while dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways reinforce meaningful experiences. Genetic and temperamental factors modulate individual responsiveness to these neural processes, and sociocultural institutions shape beliefs into stable, culturally transmitted concepts. By synthesizing evidence across neural, genetic, and social levels, the paper demonstrates that the idea of God is neither purely biologically determined nor solely culturally constructed, but an emergent phenomenon. This integrative perspective provides a mechanistic explanation for the universality of religious belief, its variability across cultures, and offers concrete directions for testing predictions in neuroimaging, genetic, and cross-cultural studies.