Sermon Illustrations
Lying Is Hard Work
Lying takes serious thought! That’s the conclusion of neuroscientists at Temple University. According to the Chicago Tribune, “With brain imaging technology, they can see how a lie sparks activity deep in the limbic system, the center of emotion and self-preservation. The lie gathers support from the memory banks in the left and right temporal lobes and then makes a dash to the frontal cortex, where a decision is made to suppress what the brain knows to be true.”
Researchers see this technology eventually replacing the polygraph— lie detector— test, which is only about 90 percent accurate. It is based on accelerated heart and breathing rates which some liars can control. Brain activity would be much harder to mask.
Dr. Scott H. Faro says, “Lying is a complex behaviorÂ…. There’s more activity and more interactions that occur during a lie than in truth telling.”
God made telling the truth natural to us, but ever since Adam and Eve our minds have been working overtime in our attempts to lie.