Candidate genes related to spiritual mediumship: a whole-exome sequencing analysis of highly gifted mediums.
Wagner Farid Gattaz, Marianna de Abreu Costa, Angélica Salatino-Oliveira, Daniel Gaspar Gonçalves, Leda L Talib, Alexander Moreira-Almeida
Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999) January 1, 2025 DOI: 10.47626/1516-4446-2024-3958 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMediums who claim to communicate with deceased persons or non-material entities carry specific genetic variants not found in their non-medium first-degree relatives. Whole-exome sequencing of 54 highly gifted mediums with over 10 years of experience and 53 relatives identified 15,669 variants exclusive to mediums, affecting 7,269 genes. Thirty-three genes were altered in at least one-third of mediums but in none of their relatives. The inflammatory pathway was most frequently affected (43.9%), with ZAP-70 translocation to the immunological synapse being particularly prominent. These genes are possible candidates for further investigations of biological underpinnings of spiritual experiences like mediumship.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 107 |
| Population | Highly gifted mediums with over 10 years of experience who engaged in mediumistic work for no material gain, and their first-degree relatives who claimed no mediumship |
| Keywords | Exome Anomalous experiences Gene Mediumship Spiritual experiences |
| Key finding | Mediums carry specific genetic variants not found in their non-medium first-degree relatives, with the inflammatory pathway being the most frequently affected. |
Abstract
There has been a call for neuroscientific studies of spiritual experiences due to their global prevalence, significant impact, and importance for understanding the mind-brain problem. Mediumship is a spiritual experience where individuals claim to communicate with or be influenced by deceased persons or non-material entities. We assessed whether mediums carry specific genetic alterations. We selected highly gifted mediums (n=54) with over 10 years of experience who engaged in mediumistic work for no material gain, performed whole-exome sequencing of these individuals, and compared its findings to those of first-degree relatives who claimed no mediumship (n=53). We identified 15,669 variants exclusively found in mediums, likely to impact the function of 7,269 genes. Thirty-three of these genes were altered in at least one-third of all mediums but in none of their relatives. The inflammatory pathway was the most frequently affected (43.9%), with the translocation of zeta-chain associated protein kinase 70 kDa (ZAP-70) to the immunological synapse being particularly prominent. This is the first exome-wide investigation of genes possibly related to mediumistic experiences. We identified gene variants that were present in mediums but not in their non-medium first-degree relatives. These genes emerge as possible candidates for further investigations of the biological underpinnings that allow spiritual experiences such as mediumship.