It would also be worth noting if other stimuli also affect this area of the brain. Just because it’s an area of the brain that religious imagery stimulates in people of faith doesn’t necessarily mean that puppies and ice cream don’t stimulate the exact same area.

There’s also a pretty big range of fandom, from just liking a product to actively evangelizing it. I’ve personally expressed concern about P&G sales of their Pringle unit, worry that the nut-jobs over at Diamond will mess something up … but I don’t think I have been brainwashed to like Pringles. I just like certain products.