Mystical experiences associated with seizures
Bruce Greyson, Donna K. Broshek, Lori L. Derr, Nathan B. Fountain
Religion, Brain & Behavior April 8, 2014 DOI: 10.1080/2153599x.2014.895775 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 98 |
| Population | Patients with epilepsy |
| Topics | Mysticism Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Consciousness Epilepsy Anesthesia Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 45 |
| Key findings | None of the epilepsy patients' seizure-associated experiences met criteria for mystical experience, and reported features were not linked to specific brain regions or seizure characteristics. |
Abstract
Alterations of consciousness are critical factors in the diagnosis of epilepsy and seizure disorders. With this alteration in consciousness, some persons report unusual experiences that have been thought to resemble spontaneous mystical experiences. This study was designed to identify and characterize the mystical experiences associated with seizure activity, through the use of a quantitative instrument with well-documented reliability and validity for assessing the content and quality of mystical states of consciousness. Ninety-eight patients with epilepsy completed a modified version of the Mysticism Scale, of whom 86 had EEGs recorded. Fifty-five per cent of the patients in this study recalled some subjective experience in association with their seizures. However, none of the patients' descriptions met the criteria for mystical experience. Although some features of mystical experience were reported in this study, particularly those suggestive of introvertive mysticism, they were not associated with any particular lobe of the brain nor were they lateralized to either the right or left side. Mysticism Scale scores were not significantly associated with demographics, medical history including seizure risk factors and precipitants, or seizure characteristics including localization and type of seizure.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Of Roots and Fruits: A Comparison of Psychedelic and Nonpsychedelic Mystical Experiences Self-selected participants who reported a religious, spiritual, or mystical experience | 2016 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 739 |
| Illicit Use of LSD or Psilocybin, but not MDMA or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, is Associated with Mystical Experiences in a Dose-Dependent Manner Adults recruited from the MAPS website and newsletter, most reporting use of various... | 2012 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 337 |
| Peak Experiences: Some Empirical Tests Random sample of adults in the San Francisco Bay Area | 1978 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| Peak Experience Tendencies | 1982 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| Rhythmic Chanting and Mystical States across Traditions. Regular chanters across 33 countries | 2021 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 464 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Epistemological implications of near-death experiences and other non-ordinary mental expressions: Moving beyond the concept of altered state of consciousness Medical Hypotheses April 11, 2015
- Toward a postmaterialist psychology: Theory, research, and applications New Ideas in Psychology March 2, 2018
- 5-MeO-DMT: An atypical psychedelic with unique pharmacology, phenomenology & risk? Psychopharmacology December 11, 2023
- Does Mystical Experience Give Access to Reality? Religions October 18, 2022
- Numinous-like symptoms in epilepsy and/or insular tumors: A hospital cohort study. Epilepsy & Behavior January 22, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 16
- Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion December 1, 2012
- Neural correlates of a mystical experience in Carmelite nuns Neuroscience Letters July 27, 2006
- The neural substrates of religious experience The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences August 1, 1997
- The Psychedelic Mystical Experience in the Human Encounter with Death Harvard Theological Review 1969
- EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience Neuroscience Letters August 15, 2008
and 11 more in the library