Neural network involvement for religious experiences in worship measured by EEG microstate analysis.
Social Neuroscience June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2022.2083228 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Evangelical Christians |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | EEG Microstates Religious experience Worship |
| Key findings | Religious experience during worship is associated with the auditory network, salience network, and default mode network, but not with the multisensory integration network. |
Abstract
Not much is known about large-scale brain activation patterns in religious states of mind and previous studies have not set an emphasis on experience. The present study investigated the phenomenon of religious experiences through microstate analysis, and it was the first neurocognitive research to tackle the dimension of experience directly. Hence, a total of 60 evangelical Christians participated in an experiment where they were asked to engage in worship and try to connect with God. With a bar slider, people were able to continuously rate how strongly they sensed God's presence at any given moment. A selection of songs was used to help in the induction of the desired experience. With 64 electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes, the brain activity was assessed and analyzed with five clusters of microstate classes. First, we hypothesized that the neural network for multisensory integration was involved in the religious experience. Second, we hypothesized that the same was true for the Default Mode Network (DMN). Our results suggested an association between the auditory network and the religious experience, and an association with the salience network as well as with the DMN. No associations with the network thought to be involved with multisensory integration was detected.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The phenomenology of near-death experiences Subjects who reported near-death experiences | 1980 | Retrospective study | n = 78 |
| Visual Phenomenology of the LSD Flashback Persons with a history of LSD use | 1983 | Observational cohort | n = 123 |
| The neurophenomenology of neutral hypnosis. Individuals of high, medium, and low hypnotizability | 2013 | Observational cohort | n = 37 |
| The Phenomenology of Acute Organic Psychosis Patients with acute organic psychosis and acute schizophrenics | 1987 | Observational cohort | n = 148 |
| EEG oscillatory states as neuro-phenomenology of consciousness as revealed from patients in vegetative and minimally conscious states. Brain-damaged patients with disorders of consciousness and healthy-conscious subjects | 2012 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Electrodermal Activity Implicating a Sympathetic Nervous System Response under the Perception of Sensing a Divine Presence—A Psychophysiological Analysis Psych February 3, 2023
- The Neuroscience of Religious and Spiritual Practices: A Systematic Review of Neurotheological Evidence Brain and Behavior August 30, 2026
- Artificial Intelligence’s Novel “Mind-Reading” Capabilities through Neuroscience: A Challenge for Mind–Body Dualism? Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness March 1, 2024
Cites 17
- Mystical and Other Alterations in Sense of Self: An Expanded Framework for Studying Nonordinary Experiences Perspectives on Psychological Science February 13, 2020
- EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience Neuroscience Letters August 15, 2008
- Neural correlates of mystical experience Neuropsychologia November 26, 2015
- Mystical Experience in the Lab Method & Theory in the Study of Religion September 4, 2014
- Psychological Analysis of Religious Experience: The Construction of the Intensity of Religious Experience Scale (IRES). Journal of Religion and Health September 9, 2020
and 12 more in the library