Neural correlates of a mystical experience in Carmelite nuns
Mario Beauregard, Vincent Paquette
Neuroscience Letters July 27, 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2006.06.060 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Carmelite nuns |
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Citations | 338 |
| Key findings | Mystical experiences involve activation in multiple brain regions, including the orbitofrontal cortex, temporal cortex, parietal lobules, caudate, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, brainstem, and extra-striate visual cortex. |
Abstract
The main goal of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to identify the neural correlates of a mystical experience. The brain activity of Carmelite nuns was measured while they were subjectively in a state of union with God. This state was associated with significant loci of activation in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex, right middle temporal cortex, right inferior and superior parietal lobules, right caudate, left medial prefrontal cortex, left anterior cingulate cortex, left inferior parietal lobule, left insula, left caudate, and left brainstem. Other loci of activation were seen in the extra-striate visual cortex. These results suggest that mystical experiences are mediated by several brain regions and systems.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
-
A self-reported state of union with God was associated with activation across multiple brain regions including orbitofrontal, temporal, parietal, prefrontal, cingulate, insular, caudate, and brainstem areas.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience Carmelite nuns | 2008 | Observational cohort | n = 14 |
| Neural correlates of mystical experience Vietnam veterans with penetrating traumatic brain injury and matched healthy controls | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 148 |
| The Peak Experience Variable in DPT-Assisted Psychotherapy with Cancer Patients Cancer patients | 1977 | Observational study | n = 128 |
| Psilocybin-Induced Mystical-Type Experiences are Related to Persisting Positive Effects: A Quantitative and Qualitative Report Healthy volunteers | 2022 | Observational cohort | n = 28 |
| Intensity of Mystical Experiences Occasioned by 5-MeO-DMT and Comparison With a Prior Psilocybin Study Individuals at a psychospiritual retreat in Mexico | 2018 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 71
- The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience Review of General Psychology May 1, 2017
- The Spiritual Brain: Selective Cortical Lesions Modulate Human Self-Transcendence Neuron February 1, 2010
- EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience Neuroscience Letters August 15, 2008
- Neural correlates of mystical experience Neuropsychologia November 26, 2015
- A Systematic Review of Transcendent States Across Meditation and Contemplative Traditions. Explore 2018
and 66 more in the library
Cites 5
- Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis Perceptual and Motor Skills December 1, 1983
- The neural substrates of religious experience The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences August 1, 1997
- The mental self. Progress in Brain Research 2005
- Religious experiences in epileptic patients with a focus on ictus-related episodes. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences June 1, 1998
- Changed pattern of regional glucose metabolism during yoga meditative relaxation. Neuropsychobiology