Brain-Computer Interfaces, Religious Cognition, and Latin American Religious Ritual: Towards a More Inclusive Neurotechnology
Author: Aime J Aguilar Herrera, ajaguil3@cougarnet.uh.edu
Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering
University: University of Houston, United States
Supervisor: Dr. Jose L Contreras-Vidal
Year of completion: In progress
Language of dissertation: English
Keywords:
Neuroscience
, Religion
, Latino
, Cultural
Areas of Research:
Religion
, Science and Technology
, Communication, Knowledge and Culture
Abstract
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) offer new possibilities for enhancing communication, cognition, and creative expression. Yet their development has largely followed secular, Western, and individualistic frameworks, often neglecting how spiritual and cultural traditions shape cognition, identity, and human flourishing. This project investigates how Latino religious and ritualistic artistic practices—such as devotional music, ceremonial storytelling, sacred iconography, and festival performance—engage neural, physiological, and cognitive processes. The goal is to inform more culturally inclusive BCI design. Our empirical research entails an experiential approach to the philosophy of religion, a field often focused on theoretical questions such as God's existence or the problem of evil and less attentive to religious experience.
Our interdisciplinary team brings together neuroscience, philosophy of religion, and Latin American studies to explore religious experience as a cognitive and embodied phenomenon. Latino spiritual traditions are communal, emotionally immersive, and rooted in oral, visual, and performative expression. Practices such as Día de los Muertos processions, indigenous dance ceremonies, and Catholic ex-voto painting demonstrate deep mind-body engagement that challenges the disembodied models typical of current neurotechnology.
We focus on three core research questions:
- How do Latino religious and artistic practices modulate brain activity?
- What are the neurophysiological and cognitive markers of deep spiritual engagement?
- How can BCIs be designed to revitalize and reinterpret traditional practices in contemporary contexts?
To address these questions, we will use mobile brain-body imaging (MoBI), EEG, EOG, and motion tracking to measure neural and physiological responses during culturally significant artistic activities, including live ceremonial performances, devotional art-making, and community storytelling. Psychometric tools (e.g., Self-Transcendence Scale, Cultural Connectedness Scale) and narrative interviews will be used to capture subjective experience. Research will take place in both Houston and Mexico, allowing cross-cultural comparison. In Houston, we will collaborate with the Latino Association of Artists, founded by Geraldina Wise, which connects us with a diverse network of Latino visual artists, musicians, and performers.
This work contributes to cognitive neuroscience, neuroethics, and BCI research by foregrounding spirituality in artistic cognition—a domain largely ignored in the field. It also deepens philosophical understanding of religious experience through themes such as self-transcendence, intentionality, emotion, and narrative meaning.
Public engagement is central to the project. We will host neuroscience-art events featuring Latino artists and community leaders to foster dialogue around tradition, technology, and brain health. Research findings will be shared through conferences and publications. By integrating spiritual and artistic practices into neurotechnology design, this project envisions BCIs that preserve and renew the cultural and spiritual dimensions of human life.
