Striking EEG Profiles from Single Episodes of Glossolalia and Transcendental Meditation
Perceptual and Motor Skills February 1, 1984 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1984.58.1.127 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2 |
| Population | Two individuals: a Transcendental Meditation teacher and a member of a pentecostal sect |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Temporal-lobe electrical seizures or spikes occurred during religious experiences in two subjects with no psychiatric history, supporting the hypothesis that such experiences correlate with temporal lobe transients. |
Abstract
Transient, focal, epileptic-like electrical changes in the temporal lobe, without convulsions, have been hypothesized to be primary correlates of religious experiences. Given these properties, direct measurement of these phenomena within the laboratory should be rare. However, two illustrated instances have been recorded. The first case involved the occurrence of a delta-wave-dominant electrical seizure for about 10 sec. from the temporal lobe only of a Transcendental Meditation teacher during a peak experience within a routine TM episode. The second case involved the occurrence of spikes within the temporal lobe only during protracted intermittent episodes of glossolalia by a member of a pentecostal sect. Neither subject had any psychiatric history. These observations are commensurate with the hypothesis that religious experiences are natural correlates of temporal lobe transients that can be detected by routine EEG measures.