Insular Stimulation Produces Mental Clarity and Bliss.
Umberto Nencha, Laurent Spinelli, Serge Vulliemoz, Margitta Seeck, Fabienne Picard
Annals of Neurology December 20, 2021 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26282 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A patient with drug-resistant epilepsy undergoing presurgical invasive intracerebral monitoring, without an ecstatic form of epilepsy |
| Intervention | Electrical stimulation of the dorsal anterior insula |
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Cerebral cortex Humans Tomography, x-ray computed Magnetic resonance imaging Electroencephalography Treatment outcome Electric stimulation Euphoria Middle aged Male Drug resistant epilepsy |
| Key findings | Electrical stimulation of the dorsal anterior insula evoked an ecstatic aura in a patient who did not have ecstatic epilepsy. The authors argue this supports the anterior insula as the major generator of mystical-type experiences even without preexisting epilepsy-related brain network changes. |
Abstract
For the first time, an ecstatic aura has been evoked through the electrical stimulation of the dorsal anterior insula during presurgical invasive intracerebral monitoring in a patient who did not suffer from an ecstatic form of epilepsy. This case provides more evidence that the anterior insula is the major generator of such a mystical-type experience even in individuals with no underlying brain network changes related to a preexisting ecstatic epilepsy. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:289-292.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The vidente phenomenon in third world traditional healing: An amazonian example Urban healer don Hilde and his patients in Pucallpa, Peru | 1984 | Case study | |
| In the Pause and Listening to the Little People Folk healer (White Bear) | 2011 | Qualitative case study | |
| The Bad Seed: Mystical Experience and Time Travel in the Treatment of Psychopathy A psychopathic personality | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Safavid Twelver Lettrism Between Sunnism and Shiʿism, Mysticism and Science: Rajab al-Bursī vs. Maḥmūd Dihdār Two Twelver Shi'i lettrists, al-Ḥāfiẓ Rajab al-Bursī and Maḥmūd Dihdār Shīrāzī | 2023 | Comparative case study | |
| Newer substances and their effects: A case report 36-year-old woman immigrant from South America | 2016 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Ecstatic or Mystical Experience through Epilepsy Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 2023
- Advances in brain and religion studies: a review and synthesis of recent representative studies. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2024
- Metacognitive Feelings of Epistemic Gain are Central to the Understanding of Psychedelic-Induced Mystical-Type Experiences Cognitive Therapy and Research March 29, 2025
- From hidden springs to endless oceans: exploring the complementary roles of the amygdala and hippocampus in phenomenal experience. Neuroscience of Consciousness 2026
- Localizing value of ecstatic phenomenon in epilepsy surgery: A systematic review. Epileptic Disorders September 17, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 6
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Active interoceptive inference and the emotional brain Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences October 11, 2016
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Journal of Psychopharmacology October 6, 2015
- Mystical and Other Alterations in Sense of Self: An Expanded Framework for Studying Nonordinary Experiences Perspectives on Psychological Science February 13, 2020
and 1 more in the library