The neuropsychology of religious experience. A review of different scientific approaches to the phenomenon / Neuropsicología de la experiencia religiosa. Una revisión de distintas aproximaciones científicas al fenómeno
Ismael Eduardo Apud Peláez, István Czachesz
Estudios de Psicología May 4, 2019 DOI: 10.1080/02109395.2019.1596373 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key findings | The review argues that philosophical and theological assumptions about religious experience as a sui generis phenomenon, along with alternative attributional approaches, have shaped neuropsychological research into distinct models. It contends that models accounting for the variety of factors and the heterogeneity of experiences tied to religious practices offer a broader framework than sui generis or attributional accounts alone. |
Abstract
The current article is a critical review of the neuropsychological study of religious experience. First, we analyse the philosophical and theological roots of the term and its characterization as a sui generis and unique phenomenon. We subsequently describe the adoption of the concept in psychology, as well as the emergence of alternative approaches that emphasize the role of categorization of experiences as religious. We then move on to explore how both approaches have influenced the neuropsychological study of religious experience, consequently producing different models: sui generis, attributional and others that consider the variety of factors and the heterogeneity of experiences associated with religious practices.