LIMITATIONS ON THE NEUROSCIENTIFIC STUDY OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES
Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science November 21, 2018 DOI: 10.1111/zygo.12468 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Key points | Argues that neuroscientific studies of meditators cannot illuminate the phenomenological content of mystical experiences, because the brain-consciousness relationship remains unresolved, and questions whether current neuroscience can establish the existence of "pure consciousness events." |
Abstract
. Neuroscientific scanning of meditators is taken as providing data on mystical experiences. However, problems concerning how the brain and consciousness are related cast doubts on whether any understanding of the content of meditative experiences is gained through the study of the brain. Whether neuroscience can study the subjective aspects of meditative experiences in general is also discussed. So too, whether current neuroscience can establish that there are “pure consciousness events” in mysticism is open to question. The discussion points to limitations on neuroscience’s capability to add to our understanding of the phenomenological content of mystical experiences.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Psychedelic Mystical Experience in the Human Encounter with Death | 1969 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Vectorial Cerebral Hemisphericity as Differential Sources for the Sensed Presence, Mystical Experiences and Religious Conversions | 1993 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The epistemic innocence of psychedelic states. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mystical Experience and Religious Doctrine | 1982 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- On Constructivism in Philosophy of Mysticism The Journal of Religion 2020
- Secular Mysticism Religions July 14, 2022
- LIMITATIONS ON THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF DRUG-ENABLED MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES: with Virginia Ballesteros, “Applied Mysticism: A Drug-Enabled Visionary Experience against Moral Blindness”; and Richard H. Jones, “Limitations on the Scientific Study of Drug-Enabled Mystical Experiences.” Zygon 2019
Cites 23
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Neural correlates of consciousness: progress and problems Nature Reviews Neuroscience April 20, 2016
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
and 18 more in the library