Cognitive Health and Differential Cortical Functioning in Dissociative Trance: An Explorative Study About Mediumship
Frontiers in Psychology April 11, 2022 Karleth Costa Spindola-Rodrigues, Renandro de Carvalho Reis, Caio Macedo de Carvalho et al. 3 citations
Mediums who practice trance mediumship in Brazil show generally healthy cognitive function. In a sample of 19 mediums split into a more experienced group (11 subjects, over 10 years of practice) and a less experienced group (8 subjects, 1–5 years), most scored at or above the median on tests of memory, attention, and executive function compared to Brazilian norms. On the five-digit test, those who first recognized trance before age 21 performed better on the choice stage. No participant met criteria for major depression, but 21% reported common mental disorders, more prevalent in the less experienced group. Executive dysfunction may be a tendency in less experienced mediums.