An investigation of religiosity and the Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.
Michael Trimble, Anthony Freeman
Epilepsy & Behavior November 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2006.05.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational comparative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | 28 patients with epilepsy and religiosity, 22 patients with epilepsy without expressed interest in religion, and 30 volunteer regular churchgoers |
| Measures | Bear-Fedio Inventory |
| Key findings | Patients with epilepsy and religiosity were significantly more likely than other patients with epilepsy to have had past episodes of postictal psychosis and to have bilateral cerebral dysfunction. Their religious experiences differed in content and intensity from those of regular churchgoers, and the authors argue they resemble the people William James described as having "an acute fever" with respect to religion. |
Abstract
We examined the religious experiences of 28 patients with epilepsy and religiosity, 22 patients with epilepsy and no expressed interest in religion, and 30 volunteer regular churchgoers. We profiled the experiences of the first group, revealing more of their phenomenology, but also their bipolarity, and demonstrated that members of the religious group were significantly more likely to have had past episodes of postictal psychosis, and to have bilateral cerebral dysfunction. We added further data to support the validity of the Bear-Fedio Inventory, and noted that although the experiences of patients with epilepsy are different in content and intensity from the experiences of regular churchgoers, the patients with epilepsy and religiosity conform to those who William James referred to as having, with respect to religion, "an acute fever."
Citations in the library
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