MRIs Show That The Cult of Mac Might Be More Religious Than It Thinks

Do you get feverish and sweaty when you even think of a new Apple product? You might start experiencing bleeding palms and other stigmata next, according to a new study. The exact same part of your brain is lighting up when you think about Apple products as when you have a religious experience.

As discussed in the new BBC documentary “Secrets of the Superbrands”, when you put an Apple fanatic under an MRI and start mentioning iPhone 5s and iPad 3s, neuroscientists found that Apple tends to stimulate the same parts of the brain as religious imagery does in people of faith.

To be honest, the documentary itself is a bit breathless, a bit stupidly snarky, and a bit tabloidy, but it does raise an interesting question that is larger than just Apple: is there a neuroscientific difference between brand fanaticism and religious ecstasy? If not, from a secular perspective, is religion just a brand, given a couple thousand years to grow?

Contentious musings, certainly: we’re sure you’ll tell us how you feel about them, in the comments.

• Via MacTrast

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