Neuro-Epileptic Origin of Mystical Experiences

[FHBRADLEY]

ON THE NEUROLOGICAL ORIGIN OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES: The Limbic System et
al.
(from Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Clinical Neuroscience by Rhawn
Joseph – Williams & Wilkins Press, Second Edition, 1996)

Question: "What are the causes and brain mechanisms involved in mystical
experiences?" This one has the beginnings of a real answer from
contemporary neuroscience. Below, I summarize information from my
neurological research utilizing the book entitled "Neuropsychiatry,
Neuropsychology, and Clinical Neuroscience" by Rhawn Joseph.

(A) THE AMYGDALA AND EMOTION
The amygdala enables us to hear "sweet sounds", recall "bitter memories",
and determine if something is spiritually significant, sexually enticing,
or good to eat. The amygdala makes it possible to experience the
spiritually sublime, is concerned with the most basic animal emotions, and
allows us to store affective experiences in memory or even to reexperience
them when awake or during the course of a dream in the form of visual,
auditory, or religious/spiritual imagery. The amygdala also enables an
individual to experience emotions such as love and religious rapture, as
well as the ecstasy associated with orgasm via enkephalin secretion, and
the dread and terror associated with the unknown.

In fact, the amygdala, in conjunction with the hippocampus, contributed in
large part to the production of very sexual as well as bizarre, unusual,
and fearful mental phenomenon, including dissociative states, feelings of
depersonalization, and hallucinogenic and dreamlike recollections involving
threatening men, naked woken, sexual intercourse, religion, and the
experience of gods, demons, and ghosts.

(B) THE AMYGDALA, THE TEMPORAL LOBE, AND THE SOUL
Mystical states may be voluntarily or involuntarily induced and are
dependent upon the differential stimulation and deafferentation (i.e.,
cutting off the afferent nerve supply – with afferent nerves being nerves
that carry impulses from receptors to the central nervous system) of limbic
system nuclei, including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala, as
well as the right frontal and right temporal lobe. Moreover, it appears
that these brain areas differentially contribute to non-mystical religious
and emotional experiences as well.

Interestingly, the hypothalamus is concerned with all rudimentary aspects
of emotion and controls the hormonal and related aspects of sexual activity
(again, including the capacity to experience orgasm and heroin-like highs
via enkephalin secretion). By contrast, it is the amygdala, in conjunction
with the temporal lobe and hippocampus, that enables a human being to have
religious, spiritual, and mystical experiences.

The amygdala, hippocampus, and temporal lobe are richly interconnected and
appear to act in concert in regard to mystical experience, including the
generation and experience of dream states and complex auditory and visual
hallucinations. Moreover, intense activation of the temporal lobe,
hippocampus, and amygdala has been reported to give rise to a host of
sexual, religious, and spiritual experiences; and CHRONIC HYPERSTIMULATION
can induce and individual to become hyper-religious or visualize ghosts,
demons, angels, and even God, as well as claim demonic and angelic
possession or the sensation of having left the body.

The amygdala and inferior temporal lobes are also highly involved in the
generation of feelings of intense sexual arousal, fear, or conversely,
rapture and euphoria – the latter being a consequence of the large
quantities of enkephalins being released and the high concentrations of
opiate receptors located throughout the amygdala. In response to pain,
stress, shock, fear, or terror, the amygdala and other limbic nuclei begin
to secrete high levels of opiates, which can induce a state of calmness as
well as analgesia and euphoria.

As noted, if these neurons are hyperactivated, such as occurs during dream
states, seizures, physical pain, terror, food deprivation, and social and
sensory isolation, and under LSD (which disinhibits the amygdala by
blocking serotonin ) an individual might infuse his perceptions with
tremendous religious and emotional feeling. Hence, under these conditions,
the individual may hallucinate and ordinary perceptions, objects, or people
my be regarded as spiritual in nature or endowed with special or religious
significance. Hence, the individual may come to believe the or she is
experiencing, through the one or more of the various sense modalities, God,
the gods, demons, angels and so on. In actuality, the individual is
hallucinating and is excessively emotionally/religiously aroused and/or
experiencing an enkephalin high among other thing.

(C) OBE'S, FEAR, & LIMBIC HYPERACTIVATION
The prospect of being terribly injured or killed in an auto accident,
fighting during wartime, and the like is often accompanied by feelings of
extreme fear. It is also not uncommon for individuals who experience
feelings of terror to report perceptual and hallucinogenic experiences,
including dissociation, depersonalization, and the splitting off of ego
functions such as that they feel as if they have separated from their
bodies and floated away or were on the ceiling looking down.

Feelings of fear and terror are mediated by the amygdala, whereas the
capacity to cognitively map, or visualize, one's position and the position
of other objects and individual in visual-space is dependent on the
hippocampus. The hippocampus contains "place" neurons that are able to
encode one's position and movement in space.

The hippocampus, therefore, can create a cognitive map of an individual's
environment and his movements within it. Presumably, it is via the
hippocampus that individuals can visualize themselves as if looking at
their bodies from afar, and can remember, and thus "see" themselves,
engaged in certain actions, as if one were an outside witness. Moreover,
under conditions of hyperactivation, it appears that the hippocampus may
create a visual hallucination of that "cognitive map" such that the
individual my experience himself as outside his body, observing all that is
occurring.

In fact, is has been repeatedly demonstrated that hyperactivation and/or
electrical stimulation of the amygdala-hippocampus-temporal lobe can cause
some individuals to report that they have left their bodies and are
hovering upon the ceiling staring down. In psychoanalytic terms, their ego
and sense of personal identity appears to split off from their body, such
that they may feel as if they are two different people, one watching, the
other being observed.

(D) LIMBIC SYSTEM HYPERACTIVATION, HALLUCINATIONS, AND NEAR DEATH
EXPERIENCES (NDE'S) – From Susan Blackmore's book "Dying to Live" for a
Moment:

(i) The Consistency Argument
The first argument for The After Life Hypothesis is The Consistency
Argument. This is that NDE's are similar around the world and throughout
history. The only possible explanation for this, so the argument runs, is
that NDE's are just what they appear to be – a journey through a real
tunnel to another world which awaits us after death. Consistency, it is
argued, amounts to evidence for an afterlife.

The consistency is certainly there. We have explored may different kinds
of NDEs and seen that, although no two are the same, there are consistent
patterns: the joy and peace; the tunnel; the light; the out-of-body
experience; the life review and the dissolution into timelessness; the
return to life and the changes it brings. The consistency is there but this
does NOT mean there is an afterlife.

The joy and peace are consistent because of the natural opiates (endorphins
and encephalins) released under
stress. The tunnel + light and noises are consistent because they depend
on the structure of the brain's cortex and what happens to it when it is
deprived of oxygen or is affected by disinhibition and random activity.
The OBE [out-of-body experience] is consistent because it is the brain's
way of dealing with a breakdown in the body image and model of reality.
The life review is consistent because the endorphins and encephalins cause
random activation and seizures in the temporal lobe and limbic system where
memories are organized. The same effect leads to the breakdown of time and
its relationship to self. And it
is this dissolution of [the model of] self that accounts for the mystical
experiences and aftereffects.

NO Afterlife Hypothesis is required to account for the consistency of the
NDE across times, peoples and cultures. Indeed, The Dying Brain Hypothesis
accounts for it much better.
(ii) The Reality Argument
The second argument I call The Reality Argument. It is that NDE's FEEL so
REAL that they must be what they appear to be, a real journey to the next
world.

By exploring the reasons why things seem real I have provided an
alternative interpretation. It is useful for us, as biological organisms,
to separate what is real from what is not. However, the distinction is
largely artificial. ALL we have is [the] model-building [capacity of the
brain and nervous system] and we call some models "real" and some
"imaginary." The most STABLE and PERSISTENT ones, like those based on the
senses, we call real. The ones that affect the limbic system in certain
ways we feel as "familiar" or "meaningful." Mostly this works well, but
during the NDE it leads us astray. Stable tunnel forms in the cortex seem
real. An out-of-body perspective taken on in imagination seems real. So
the felt "realness" of the NDE's is NO evidence that there is anyone to
travel out of the body or any next world to go to. The Dying Brain
Hypothesis thus accounts better for why the experience seems so real and
can also account for why obviously "unreal" things are seen in NDE's as
well.

(iii) The Paranormal Argument
Third comes The Paranormal Argument. That is that NDE's involve paranormal
events which cannot be explained by science. Since they cannot be
explained in any normal way they must be evidence that the NDE involves
another dimension, another world, or the existence of a non-material spirit
or soul.

This is NOT a good argument for The Afterlife Hypothesis for two reasons.
Firstly, I have cast considerable doubt on the evidence itself. Many cases
are simply very weak to start with, others become weaker the deeper you
look into them and some have even been INVENTED altogether. Secondly, even
if the evidence were compelling, it could NOT be explained just by claiming
that "There is an afterlife." If the evidence changes in the future and
truly convincing paranormal events are documented then certainly the theory
I have proposed will have to be overthrown – along with a lot more of
psychology, physics and biology – BUT THE AFTERLIFE THEORIES WE HAVE
ENCOUNTERED HERE WILL NOT DO INSTEAD.

By contrast, The Dying Brain Hypothesis explains why people seek paranormal
evidence to bolster their impression of realness and how the stories are
passed on and elaborated. By understanding the role of the limbic system
and temporal lobe it accounts for the experiences of familiarity, insight
and "deja vu" and for the increase in psychic-[seeming] experiences after
the NDE. I shall keep looking for evidence that might prove it wrong,, but
for now The Dying Brain Hypothesis accounts better for what we know.

(iv) The Transformation Argument
Finally, there is The Transformation Argument. This is that people are
changed by their NDE's, sometimes
dramatically for the better, becoming more spiritual and less
materialistic.

The Afterlife Hypothesis attributes this to NDEers having a spiritual
experience in another world. IN FACT THIS DOES NOT REALLY EXPLAIN IT AT
ALL. THERE IS NO OBVIOUS REASON WHY AN AFTERLIFE SHOULD BE A BETTER ONE
NOR WHY CONTACT WITH IT SHOULD MAKE PEOPLE WHO RETURN NICER. THIS IS
SIMPLY ASSUMED.

By contrast, The Dying Brain Hypothesis is compatible with two reasons for
transformation. One is simply that being made to THINK about death
[concretely] can affect a person's priorities deeply, whether it is their
death or another's and whether they have an NDE or not. This alone can
make them less selfish and more concerned for others. The other is that
coming close to death can provoke the insight that self was only a
construction of the brain and nervous system; that all the struggles,
attachment and suffering of life depend on that artificial construction and
that it can be let go. There never was any SOLID SELF and there
is no [substantial] self to die. With this insight fear is left behind and
life can be lived more directly and fully. The Dying Brain Hypothesis
accounts better for the mystical insight of the NDE and the changes it
can bring about.

All things considered, I can see NO reason to adopt The Afterlife
Hypothesis. I am sure I shall remain in the minority for a long time to
come, especially amongst NDErs, but for me the evidence and the arguments
are overwhelming. The Dying Brain Hypothesis, for all its shortcomings,
does a better job of accounting for the experiences themselves. And it
reveals NOT a false hope of the self being perpetuated into an infinite and
everlasting tomorrow by God (or whatever), BUT A GENUINE INSIGHT BEYOND THE
SELF.

We are biological organisms, evolved in fascinating ways for NO purpose at
all and with NO END in ANY MIND. We are simply here and this is how it is.
I have no [substantial] self and "I" own nothing. There is NO ONE to
die. THERE IS JUST THIS MOMENT, AND NOW THIS AND NOW THIS…

(E) OBE'S, HEAVENLY, & OTHERWORLDLY LIMBIC EXPERIENCES – back to Rhawn
Joseph
The preeminent neurologists Penfield and Perot describe several patients
who, during temporal lobe seizures, claimed they could seem themselves in
different situations. One woman stated that "it was as though I were two
persons, one watching, and the other having this happen to me", and that it
was she who was doing the watching , as if she were completely separated
from her body.

One patient had a sensation of being outside her body, watching and
observing herself from the outside. Another neurosurgery patient alleged
that, while outside her body, she was also overcome by feelings of euphoria
and eternal harmony. Yet another patient reported an epileptic aura in
which she experienced a feeling of being lifted up out of her body, coupled
with a very pleasant sensation of elation and the feeling that she was just
about to find out knowledge no one else shares, something to do with the
link between life and death. Yet other patients suffering from temporal
lobe seizures have noted that feelings and perceptions suddenly became
CRYSTAL CLEAR (my "Space-Like Mind" experience) or that of having Truth
revealed to them, or of having achieved a sense of greater awareness such
that sounds, smells, and visual objects seemed to have greater meaning and
sensibility.

(F) DEATH OF THE TEMPORAL LOBE
It is likely that conditions involving extreme fear and/or traumatic
injury, and some cases of temporal lobe epilepsy, result in hyperactivation
of the amygdala and hippocampus, which in turn will begin to hallucinate
and/or trigger visions of brilliant light, as well as secrete opiate-like
neurotransmitters than induce a state of euphoria and, thus, eternal peace
and harmony. Given that similar experiences are reported by those who have
been declared "clinically dead", the possibility is raised that the
hippocampus and amygdala may be the first areas of the brain to be affected
by approaching death, as well as one of the last regions of the brain to
actually die. That is, as one approaches death, and even after "clinical
death", the amygdala and hippocampus may continue to function briefly and
not only become hyperactivated, but produce a feeling of eternal peace and
tranquillity and a hallucination of floating outside the body and of
meeting relatives and other religious figures, like in a dream.

(G) SEXUALITY, RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE, AND TEMPORAL LOBE HYPERACTIVATION:
SOME SPECULATIONS
A not uncommon characteristic of high levels of limbic system and inferior
temporal lobe activity are changes in sexuality as well as a deepening of
religious fervor. It is noteworthy that not just modern-day evangelists,
but many ancient religious leaders, including Abraham and Muhammad, tended
to be highly sexual and partook of may partners. Many also displayed
evidence of the Kluver-Bucy syndrome, such as eating dung (Ezekiel), as
well as temporal lobe hyperactivation and epilepsy.

Muhammad, God's alleged messenger, was apparently dyslexic and agraphic
(loss, partial or total, of the ability to write) and was known to lose
consciousness and enter into trance states. In fact, he had his first
truly spiritual/religious conversion when, as the story goes, he was torn
from his sleep by the archangel Gabriel.

Muhammad was basically a kind and considerate man, but he was also known to
fly into extreme rages and to kill, or at least order killed, wealthy
infidels and merchants and those who opposed him. These behaviors, when
coupled with his increased sexuality, heightened religious fervor, trance
states, mood swings, and possible auditory and visual hallucinations of a
titanic angel, certainly point to the limbic system and inferior temporal
lobe as the possible neurological foundation for these experiences.

(H) RELIGION, LIMBIC SYSTEM HYPERACTIVATION, AND TEMPORAL LOBE SEIZURES
Among a TINY MINORITY of humans, the nuclei of the limbic system have a
tendency to periodically become over-activated. When this occurs, emotions
may be perceived or expressed abnormally, and the sensory and emotional
filtering that normally takes place in these nuclei is reduced or
abolished. Moreover, instead of being merely overly sensitive, those
affected may suddenly experience extreme anger, rage, paranoia, depression,
sexual desire, or even religious ecstasy. And they may hallucinate the
presence of threatening people, animals, or even religious figures.
Deepening of emotions, hallucinations, alterations in sex drive, and the
development of extreme religious beliefs (i.e., hyper religiousness) are
not uncommon manifestations of limbic-temporal lobe seizures and
hyperactivation.

In fact, certain individuals who develop temporal lobe epilepsy and, thus,
limbic hyperactivation, may suddenly become hyper-religious and spend hours
reading and talking about the Bible (or other culturally relevant
scriptures) and other religious issues. Once this condition develops, they
may spend hours every day preaching or writing out their mystical and/or
religious thoughts, or engaging in certain actions they believe have
religious significance. Many modern-day religious writers also happen to
suffer from epilepsy are, in fact, exceedingly prolific, and those who feel
impelled to preach tend to do just that.

People who suffer from periodic episodes of limbic and temporal lobe
hyper-activation, such as those with temporal lobe epilepsy, typically have
seizures. It is not uncommon for these seizures to be preceded by an
hallucination.

The great existential author, Feodor Dostoevsky, apparently suffered from
temporal lobe epilepsy. Dostoevsky alleged, via one of his characters,
that when he had a seizure the gates of Heaven would open and he could see
row upon row of angels blowing on great golden trumpets. Then two great
golden doors would open and he could see a golden stairway that would lead
right up to the throne of God.

As noted above, there is some evidence that many religious and spiritual
leaders have had similar temporal lobe, limbic-system-induced religious
experiences. Moses, for example, may have suffered from temporal lobe
seizures. Presumably, this was a consequence of being left, as an infant,
for days to bake in the sun, after his mother abandoned him in a basket on
a small stream. If that were the case, his brain could have become
overheated and damaged by the scorching Egyptian sun.

If Moses subsequently developed temporal lobe epilepsy, this cold explain
his hyper-religious fervor, his rages, and the numerous murders he
committed or ordered. His speech impediment, hyper-graphia (copious and
obsessive writing with a neurological etiology), and hallucinations, such
as hearing the voice of God speaking to him from a burning bush, are
symptoms not uncommonly associated with temporal lobe seizures and limbic
hyperactivation.

(I) ISOLATION, LIMBIC HYPERACTIVATION, AND HALLUCINATIONS
It has been well established that even short-term social and sensory
isolation lasting just a few days can induce emotionally and visually
profound and complex hallucinations that can be so personally distressing
that volunteers will refuse to discuss them.

John C. Lilly in 1972, combined LSD with prolonged water immersion and
social and sensory isolation for about 7 hours on several occasions, and
experienced and observed the presence of spiritual God-like beings who
beckoned to him.

Isolation, as well as food and water deprivation, increased or decreased
sexual activity, pain, drug use, self-mutilation, prayer, and meditation
are common methods of attaining mystical states of religious an spiritual
awareness, and have been employed world-wide, across time and culture.
These states also activate the limbic system.

For example, not only can pain or a desirable food item or sex partner
result in limbic arousal, but when the limbic system is denied normal modes
of input, be it sensory, emotional, social, or nutritional, it can become
hyperactive; stimuli normally deleted and/or subject to sensory filtering
are instead perceived. That is, limbic sensory acuity is increased, and in
some respects what is perceived is not always an "hallucination" in the
sense that it really involves the perception of overlapping sensory
qualities that are normally filtered out. Sensory filtering is quite
common at the level of the amygdala, which contains neurons that are
multimodally responsive as well as inhibitory via serotonin. However, when
this filter is removed, hallucinations and/or the perception of unusual
sensory qualities can result.

(J) LIMBIC HYPERACTIVITY AS AN INHERITED SPIRITUAL TRAIT
As pertaining to many religious figures such as the Buddha the following
may be said. While he may or may not have been hallucinating when he
sought meditative isolation and enlightenment, given the other features of
his personality and religiosity, it could be argued that his amygdala and
temporal lobe were highly active. Similarly, others capable of great
spiritual experiences demonstrate signs and behaviors associated with
limbic and temporal lobe hyperactivation. Is this, perhaps, because they
are, in fact, hyper-activating this region of the brain via various
meditation, attentional, and breath-manipulation techniques?

That is, a person who lives a highly spiritual and mystical lifestyle,
might perpetually activate this region of the brain and achieve what others
can only hope for via drugs, fasting, and isolation/deprivation – access to
the Spiritually Sublime.

(K) RIGHT HEMISPHERE, TEMPORAL LOBE HYPERACTIVATION, AND DREAMING
Some so-called mystics have reported a cessation of dreaming after years of
intensive meditation the intermediate stages of which were characterized by
silences, luminosity's of all sorts, as well as changes in the experience
of time, space, causality, and self. Is there any basis in neurology for
claims like this? We believe the answer is in the affirmative, though the
condition would be VERY RARE.

The amygdala and the neocortex of the temporal lobe are highly
interactionally involved in the production of religious and hallucinatory
experiences, INCLUDING DREAM STATES. This is especially the case for the
RIGHT temporal lobe and RIGHT amygdala.

Moreover, the right hemisphere (and the right amygdala) is more involve
than the left in the reception and production of religious imagery. This
is likely, as the right hippocampus and right amygdala, and the right
hemisphere in general, also appear to be involved in the production of
hallucinations and dream imagery, as well as REM (i.e., rapid eye movement)
during sleep.

Electrophysiologically, the right temporal lobe become highly active
during REM sleep, whereas, conversely, the left temporal region become more
active in NREM (i.e.., non-rapid eye movement). sleep. Similarly,
measurements of cerebral blood flow have shown an increase in the right
temporal regions during REM sleep and in subjects who, upon wakening,
report visual, hypnagogic, hallucinatory, and auditory dreaming.
Interestingly, abnormal and enhanced activity in the right temporal and
temporal-occipital areas acts to increase dreaming and REM sleep for an
atypically long time.

Conversely, LSD-induced hallucinations are significantly reduced when the
right (but NOT the left) temporal lobe has been surgically removed.
Similarly, it has been reported that dreaming is ABOLISHED with right (but
NOT left) temporal lobe destruction. Furthermore, there appears to be a
specific complementary relationship between REM sleep, hallucinations,
mystical experiences, and right temporal (and thus right amygdala and
hippocampus) electrophysiological activity.