Vectorial Cerebral Hemisphericity as Differential Sources for the Sensed Presence, Mystical Experiences and Religious Conversions
Perceptual and Motor Skills June 1, 1993 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1993.76.3.915 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Experiential learning Cognitive psychology Audiology Literature |
| Citations | 86 |
| Key points | Proposes that the relative metabolic activity between cerebral hemispheres during interhemispheric intercalation determines the affect, content, and type of sensed presence experiences, including entities, gods, out-of-body experiences, and space-time alterations. |
Abstract
Multiple variants of the sensed presence often precede mystical and religious experiences that are frequently followed by sudden, permanent changes in self-concept. The model of vectorial hemisphericity assumes that the relative metabolic activity of synaptic patterns between the cerebral hemispheres at the time of transient interhemispheric intercalation determines the affect, content, and type of experience. Depending upon the relative activity of the two hemispheres, intrusions of the right hemispheric equivalent of the left hemispheric (and linguistic) sense of self generate experimental phenomena that include "evil entities," gods, out-of-body experiences, and alterations in space-time. Conditions that facilitate interhemispheric intercalation and the generation of these experiences are discussed.