Neurotheology and Mysticism: The Neural and Meaning Dimensions of Spiritual Experience
İsa Yalçın, Aysun Özveren
September 30, 2026 DOI: 10.35415/sirnakifd.1930755 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key findings | Argues that explaining religious experience through neurological processes alone remains insufficient. Although mystical experiences such as wajd, samāʿ, the sense of unity, and the dissolution of self-consciousness are associated with specific brain regions and neural networks, the author contends that the meaning dimension of these experiences must be addressed together with their historical, cultural, and mystical contexts, and that the role of religious-cultural context remains unresolved. |
Abstract
This study addresses the relationship between neurotheology and mystical thought through the neurobiological foundations and meaning dimensions of religious and spiritual experiences. The point of departure of the research is the question of whether religious experiences can be explained solely by brain processes and to what extent the meaning they carry can be comprehended within the framework of reductionist approaches. Findings indicating that mystical experiences such as wajd, samāʿ, the sense of unity, and the dissolution of self-consciousness are associated with specific brain regions and neural networks bring with them debates concerning the nature of these experiences. However, the issue of whether such experiences can be reduced to physiological processes and what role the religious-cultural context in which they emerge plays has not yet been clarified. The research was conducted within the framework of a qualitative research approach using the documentation method. In the study, the literature of neurotheology and the classical and contemporary approaches to mystical thought were examined from an interdisciplinary perspective. In this context, the relationships between data obtained from brain imaging techniques and practices such as dhikr, samāʿ, meditation, and contemplation (tafakkur) were evaluated; the possibilities and limitations of reductionist explanations were discussed from a critical perspective. In this regard, it has been demonstrated that explaining religious experience through neurological processes remains insufficient, and that the meaning dimension of these experiences must be addressed together with their historical, cultural, and mystical contexts.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative and Quantitative Features of Music Reported to Support Peak Mystical Experiences during Psychedelic Therapy Sessions Individuals with extensive experience administering psilocybin or psilocybin-containing... | 2017 | Survey and qualitative/quantitative analysis | n = 10 |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Do Drugs Have Religious Import? A 40-Year Retrospective | 2004 | Interview | |
| Narratives of the mystical among users of psychedelics Psychedelic drug users | 2021 | Qualitative study | n = 50 |
| Auras in mysticism and synaesthesia: a comparison. Synaesthetes who experience colors in response to human faces and figures | 2012 | Qualitative study | n = 4 |