Selflessness as the Neuropsychological Foundation of Spiritual Transcendence
March 31, 2026 Brick Johnstone, Daniel Cohen, Andrew Dennison
Spiritual experiences can be understood as neuropsychological processes that reduce the sense of self (selflessness) and lead to spiritual transcendence. A longitudinal fMRI study of individuals with acquired brain injury or multiple sclerosis found that decreased functioning of the right inferior parietal lobule (RIPL) correlated with greater reported selflessness and higher measures of spiritual transcendence. Declines in RIPL performance over time predicted subsequent increases in selflessness and were also linked to enhanced transcendent experiences.